So whats a poll tax? Well, that all depends on your perspective, now does it.

Arguably it costs gas to drive to a polling station. Even if you walk, then it costs time and energy to walk, plus time to stand in line. Whether or not that would be considered a flat tax or regressive is another issue for another day. Sure, the government can do everything it can to mitigate the costs of voting [subsidize by taxpayers], as it should, but at what point does Uncle Sam tell you "hey, meet me half-way on this one."

Open more polling stations so the lines are shorter. Free up more parking spaces? Validate your parking pass? Free bus to drive you there? All gray area territory. I guess mandating ID cards falls somewhere between having to walk 1 quarter of a mile to having to stand in line for 3 hours. I can kinda see both sides on this one.

Though just for fun, I can always up one you on stupid. Well, internet voting can make actually walking to a polling station obsolete. But then theres the hassle of hack proofing it, validation, and off course making it all work on Vista (hey, good luck with that one). But ignoring all that, why stop there. Having to actually exert effort to push a button with your finger is a poll tax. Shouldn't there be a machine that you can just telepathically beam your thoughts who you want to vote for by now. Hey, its 2008, right?

I can always have some fun with the other extreme as well, but thats for another day.