Recently, California's SB 1174 has generated a great deal of attention and controversy. The bill, which prohibits election officials from requiring voters to show identification during voter registration and at the polls, aims to increase voter convenience and raise turnout rates. However, the measure has also sparked a lot of opposition.
Chinese pastor Rev. Boli Zhang expressed his strong opposition to the bill. Previously, he had pointed out that there are about 90 million Christians in the United States today, of which about 40 million are inactive voters. He said that this clearly reflects the church's lukewarm attitude towards social responsibilities and lack of social awareness. He called on churches to wake up and become politically active. He emphasized that California has a relatively high voter turnout, but the passage of this bill has certainly brought confusion to the election.
The SB 1174 bill is a recently introduced piece of legislation in California that seeks to eliminate voter identification requirements. The bill states that election officials are prohibited from from requiring identification during the voter registration or voting process, and is intended to address the fact that some people may not be able to participate in the voting process due to difficulties with documents. Supporters argue that this will help increase voter turnout and promote greater citizen participation in the democratic election process. Opponents, however, are concerned that the measure could make the election process less transparent and increase the risk of election fraud.
Under SB 1174, election officials cannot ask voters for identification, which Rev. Boli finds incredulous. He mentioned that voters are required to provide valid identification in any national election, while California would effectively allow undocumented immigrants to vote. This would bring significant challenges to the democratic system. He argued that the bill was covering up the flaws in voter ID laws and was actually designed to increase voter turnout while ignoring the fairness of elections.
The California SB1174 passed by a vote of 57 to 16, with all of its supporters being Democratic legislators. The bill's sponsor, David Min, argued that requiring ID would discourage legitimate voters from voting, an argument that was strongly rebutted by Rev. Boli. He argued that any attempt to weaken the integrity of elections is an affront to the democratic system.
Rev. Boli also emphasized that passage of the bill would likely result in a large number of illegal immigrants voting, which in turn would affect California's political landscape. He pointed out that under federal law, it is a felony for a non-citizen to participate in an election, and that California's approach is a blatant violation of the law. Although the bill claims to protect the voting rights of minorities, in Rev. Boli’s opinion, it actually creates an electoral advantage for the Democrats, revealing the party's manipulation of election rules.
He further stated that the Democrats' long tenure in California has caused many voters to lose faith in politics, and called for more Christians to pay attention to the elections and actively register to vote. He warned that non-citizens could face serious consequences, including the risk of imprisonment and deportation if they are caught voting in California.
Rev. Boli concluded that Christians should not only focus on their right to vote in political participation, but also on the legitimacy and fairness of elections. He called on more Christians to speak out courageously, hold fast to their beliefs and principles, and contribute to the preservation of American democracy.
