True North

Did you know that it's more difficult to get a driver's license in Minnesota than it is to register to vote? The Minnesota House Research Department has a short research brief about the state's voter registration requirements.

You might say "Of course! You've go to learn how to drive and pass a driving test." Of course, people can and do drive without a license. But to go to the trouble of getting one, you've got to go through some legal hoops.

One of the legacies of Gov. Ventura is that if you move into the state, you can't present your former state's license in exchange for a Minnesota one. I found that out the hard way. In effect, the state of Minnesota says "We don't care what any other state says, we don't trust them and we don't know who you are."

For me, the easiest way to prove my identity to the state was to present a passport, which I've had for years.

But what's required to register to vote--a right that, after all, enables you to select individuals who have control over our lives, liberties, and fortunes? Well, a driver's license might work. But so will having somebody go with you and say "Oh yeah, I know that person. He lives here."

Will Minnesota tighten its registration process and do away with same-day registration? Doubtful. The DFL isn't interested, and Republicans may find it electoral poison, fitting into the "those guys are mean" toxic image.

Still, the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Crawford case could make it legally permissible.