Today, we’re going to ask for you to do something out of character for most of you — think like a crook, at least for a few moments.

No, we haven’t lost our minds; we’re asking you to dig into the deepest parts of your mind for a good reason.

For those of you who are registered to vote and choose to exercise that right, thinking like a criminal may help you make the right choice on today’s ballot.

As you get to the poll and sign in, think about just how easy it would be to pretend to be someone else, if you wanted to do so.

Then, as you make your way down the ballot to initiative No. 27 pause for a few seconds to think about what voter ID really means to you and to others.

Decades ago, all sorts of outlandish tactics were used by the white power base in Mississippi to discriminate against black citizens and prevent them from voting.

Fears of those awful days are very real for some older black citizens, but they’re fears that should no longer be a concern.

The real fear that voters — all voters, regardless of skin color — need to have is that our elections system remains outdated and can encourage the criminals among us to cheat the system.

Opponents of voter ID will point out just how rarely voter fraud is prosecuted.

Just because crooks do not get caught, does not mean they don’t exist.

Please support voter ID today and let’s remove one more temptation from the hearts and minds of the crooks that walk among us.