Blog #36 – Voter ID
After reading the article, “Can I See Some ID?”, I just wanted to sum up some of the details and arguments:
– In Texas, a new voter ID law requires Texans to have a picture ID with them in order to vote. The article said that this law would negatively impact college students b/c the address for the voter at the polling station and on the ID MUST be the same. Texas is a massive state, one which could take a 12-14 hour drive to cross it (as does Michigan), and so if a student lives up in the panhandle put goes to college in Houston, that student would have a problem. What is he/she to do?
– A majority of these laws are being pushed by states that have Republican-led legislatures, and with the 2012 elections coming up, this could be seen as a partisan (political party) tactic to limit the number of eligible voters who could vote for the Democratic incumbent, Barack Obama. Those being affected by this call for voter ID are the poor, the elderly, college students, and minorities (estimated 21 million, according to the article dated April 2, 2012). Many of these groups voted for Obama in 2008, and voter ID opponents like Civil Rights pioneer and Congressman, John Lewis, called these laws “another form of a poll tax.” Obviously, this could have a huge (read HUGE) impact on the election in November:
Twenty-four laws or executive orders restricting access to the ballot have passed in 17 states since the beginning of 2011 and 74 more such bills are pending. By November 2012, there will be at least 30 states that will require identification to be shown at the polls. This requirement will disenfranchise up to 11% of eligible voters in America, and will have an even larger impact on groups that have traditionally faced discrimination at the polls. 1
– Republicans state that these laws are intended to reduce incidents of voter fraud. Also, they argue that showing an ID like a driver’s license or passport at the airport is a normal procedure, so why couldn’t you be expected to confirm your identity at the polling place? It is just common sense to carry a piece of ID with you in order to function in today’s society. Isn’t our democracy worth safe guarding with a simple, free ID? Opinion polls cited by Republicans also state that 75% of Americans “including majorities of Hispanics and African-Americans — routinely support such laws.” 2
The Supreme Court has also weighed in on the Constitutionality of Voter ID laws (like Indiana’s) and has said YES! in 2008.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Voter ID Laws | ||||
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The South Carolina law mentioned in the Colbert video above in which Governor Nikki Haley promises to drive all of those who are inconvenienced by the law has been blocked by the Justice Department. It says that the SC law would target eligible minority voters. 1 In March, the Justice Dept. also blocked the Texas voter ID law for the same reason. Wisconsin’s voter ID law was also blocked by a federal judge in March 2012. The judge in the Wisconsin case said this about his decision:
“Without question, where it exists, voter fraud corrupts elections and undermines our form of government,” wrote Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess in his decision. “The legislature and governor may certainly take aggressive action to prevent its occurrence. But voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression. Indeed, they are two heads on the monster.”
In fact, the group that is pushing for voter ID laws has stated that non-citizens with photo IDs have already registered to vote, though the number appears to be small (2,000 in Miami-Dade county of 250,000). Sometimes, in Florida and other places with Latino populations, some U.S. citizens are asked to “document their status” as Americans so they can stay on the voter rolls. Occasionally, these residents are flagged as ineligible voters – in effect, guilty until proven innocent. 3
In a typical, hidden-camera investigative report, PJ Media trickster James O’Keefe sent a film crew to pretend to be the Attorney General of the U.S. and vote in his place, or technically, to see how easy it would be to vote at his precinct posing as a gentlemen named Holder (the A.G. is named Eric Holder) without ID. Obviously according the National Review article, the pollster is plainly clueless, unable to recognize the Attorney General of the U.S..2
A super-lobby group called ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) has been cooperating with big businesses and legislatures around the country to write some of these voter ID bills. Here’s a link to one of their co-written laws in Arkansas: http://alecexposed.org/w/images/d/d9/7G16-VOTER_ID_ACT_Exposed.pdf As it says on the document, these voter ID laws aim at disenfranchising the poor, elderly, minorities, and college students because they move often or don’t have a driver’s license or have lost the required paperwork. Sometimes, the states will provide free IDs but the offices aren’t close to the people or aren’t open at convenient hours.
So, what’s the right answer? Voter IDs or not? Or is there another possibility? Put it out there. Discuss the issues in your answer.
200 words. Due Wednesday by 5/22.
Sources:
1. “Voter ID Laws: Silencing the American People,” John Whitehead – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/voter-id-laws_b_1514422.html
2. “Why We Need Voter ID Laws,” John Fund – http://www.nationalreview.com/blogs/print/295431
3. Fox Points to Voter ID Laws as Solution to Potential Non-Citizen Voters Who Already Have IDs, Emily Arrwood – http://mediamatters.org/blog/201205100024
I am personally against voter id laws aside for a few conditions or exceptions. I believe that every U.S. citizen should have the right to vote and these voter id laws should not be in effect. I agree with the fact that this is in contrast with poll taxes and should not be in effect. Voter id laws primarily affect the young, the old, and minorities who tend to vote Democrat. It is literally taking away Democrat votes for reasons such as the fact that someone has problems waiting in a Secretary of State office for 2 hours or a college student not living in his registered voting area, which are ridicules reasons. As is shown that the voter id laws are primarily being pushed and approved in Republican states by Republicans shows that they aren’t willing to put up a fair fight against Democrats. I would be so against these voter id laws if the government made an effort to issue ids. There are many ways that the government could enforce or get more people to own ids. They could fine people if they don’t have proper ids just like people are fined for not having a license plate. The government could even issue a tax refund for having gotten a state id. Voter id laws in my point of view should not be in effect. They do more harm than they do good and they are very one sided. I may not be a reliable source because I am a Democrat and I may be bias but I know one thing, we live in the Democracy and we have the right to vote for the person who leads us but when you take that right away you are disregarding the constitution
I think that even if the pretense for making the voter ID law is valid. The execution is obviously aimed at crippling the Democratic Party in the area. I think that if they remove some of the obvious devices of suppression then they will reduce voter fraud and increase voter participation. I suggest that the way to decrease voter fraud is to require them to have an ID but remove the requirement of a constant address then the law will be fairer. But, the other solution is to scrap the law altogether. If the law would be scrapped then I guess we would be forced to accept the system for what it is. At the moment the system works and there are not huge flaws in regards to voter fraud, the biggest issue that the democrats seem to have too much of a vote. I am not in favor of the voter ID law and think that it’s a thinly veiled attempt to suppress a demographic that would vote largely democratic. Another issue with the proposed implementation of this Voter ID law was that it suppresses change. This takes the control away from the poor people, the young people, and the new people to our country and forces them to take roles assigned them by the reigning. We need as many people to vote as possible so that we can continue to evolve as a country.
The issue of imposing voter identification laws is a very real and very powerful one, made even more controversial because of the upcoming election. Like the blog says, voter ID laws could effectively prevent 21 million citizens from voting—mainly minorities, the poor, college students and the elderly. These happen to be most of the people that generally vote for the Democratic party. Regardless of partisan tactics in general, part of our country’s image comes from the freedom of allowing all eligible U.S. citizens to vote. I agree with both the article and the blog; it is important that any inherent form of voter restriction be controlled, recognized, and deemed unconstitutional; however, couldn’t college students, the elderly, etc. simply request an absentee ballot and vote that way? Requiring all out-of-town voters to do so would likely cause a drop in votes cast, but only due to laziness of potential voters, and if these voters are truly that lazy than I honestly don’t care about their vote and don’t trust them to control the fate of our country. The idea that a picture ID and proof of citizenship/residency is enough to prevent voter fraud is somewhat unreasonable, but the fact remains that voter fraud isn’t really a huge problem. Actually, some pollsters don’t realize that fraudulent voters are using the identification of the deceased is being used in order to cast a vote. I think it’d be more effective to get competent officials to run the election process that to require residency concurrent with the precinct in which one is voting. In our home state of Michigan, a photo ID and voter registration is required, and an address is required on the voter registration card. So, right out of the start, one needs an address in order to become a registered voter, unless a federal homeless association (i.e. NLCHP or NHC) issues a registration card detailing either a homeless shelter or park/bus stop in which a homeless person sleeps (to determine precinct location). These hurdles provide an obstacle in and of themselves—although the law protects the right of the homeless to vote, differing state regulations make it difficult for the homeless to register. There are nearly 100,000 homeless people in Michigan, 50% of whom are adults. Nationally, this is a huge number of people—shouldn’t this be addressed with just as much urgency as voter fraud and identification? Of course not, because that would make it fair, and politics isn’t a fair game.
I believe that voters should have to show some sort of identification in order to vote, but I also believe that the laws should be lenient. As of right now, the laws for voter ID require that the voter show some sort of government issued ID. I think that this ridiculous. As shown in the article, twenty-five percent of African Americans do not have a government issued ID, and eighteen percent of citizens aged 18-24 also do not have government issued IDs. There are also many other citizens who do not have government issued IDs. Overall, up to twenty-one million people in the U.S. do not have government issued IDs. I would have to agree with the judge from Wisconsin when he says that voter suppression is equally as bad as voter fraud. In this case, I think that voter suppression could be even worse than voter fraud. I only say this because voter fraud usually doesn’t occur twenty-one million times. Now, instead of using government issued IDs, I think it would be much easier for citizens to show any form of photo ID at the poll booth. In the end, even though I think that ID should be required, legitimate citizens of the United States should not have their voting rights taken away simply because of not having ID.
These new laws require you to have a government issue ID when voting. Voter ID laws have both benefits and disadvantages. Voter ID laws are stricter on cutting down voter fraud (which isn’t a common problem). But they also make it harder for college students, the elderly, the poor, Hispanics, people who move a lot, and other minority groups harder to vote. I think that the Voter ID law is a good idea. The only thing that I think is big problem is how the college kids have to drive home to vote. Maybe when going to vote college students need to have their government ID and their college ID. Or maybe hold elections on campus. As for the people that are poor or elderly that don’t have driver’s licenses, you either mail in an old drivers license and the state will send you a state ID (this is mostly for the elderly population). Or you can just go to secretary of state and get a state ID. Those that counter argue that the poor wouldn’t be able to get the ID because they don’t have the paper work; you need to realize that if they don’t have the paperwork to get the ID then how were they able to vote in the past? In past years you needed a water bill (or some kind of bill with your name and address on it) or a bank statement for proof of identification. You need proof of identification to vote and to get the license, so why start complaining about it now? For the people that move a lot, plan ahead! Elections for president happen once every four years. That is more than enough time for you to go to secretary of state to change your address on your license. I think that the Voter ID law is a good idea the only thing that needs tweaking is how college kids have to drive home to vote.
I do not believe states should require state issued ID’s for voter registration. They are not being pushed for constitutional reason-Republicans are using them as an excuse to stop a large portion of Democratic voters (poor, elderly, college students, etc.) from voting. Republicans are trying to hide this fact by saying they are trying to stop “voter fraud.” In the last election it was proven that out of over 9 million votes in Ohio only four were ineligible. While any amount is inacceptable, four out of nine million won’t exactly swing the vote either way. The law wouldn’t help with voter fraud, since there are already placements at voting booths to stop it. It still happens and if we stop letting people who can’t get a state issued ID to vote then we are actually insinuating them to commit voter fraud. They would attempt to vote without a state issued ID, which would then be against the law, but they wouldn’t care because they believe it is their constitutional right to vote. Everyone is given the right to vote through the Constitution and its amendments have given everyone in the US the right to vote, but inability to get a state idea takes away this right and forces people to either not be given their constitutional right or have to lie to vote. I do not condone people breaking the law to try to vote, but they shouldn’t have to break any law to have their right as a US citizen. The state issued ID law is unnecessary and unconstitutional and shouldn’t be allowed to continue on.
In this case, there are obviously many pros and cons for making voter ids necessary in order to vote. Although it could be said that those who are poor or college students or minorities do not have as much access to a voter Id, if they eliminate the need for the address of the voter at the polling station and on the ID to be the same, that eliminates college students from the list. To eliminate the poor (from this list) and also the minorities, making the availability of state identification easier or maybe even mandatory. Also, they could possibly make it available through schools. Voter fraud is obviously an issue. The right to vote is part of being an American citizen and electing the president that the people choose is as important as any other right being fulfilled. Although the process of getting a voter ID might take time, in the long run it will make the election process most honest. It is obviously something could not start right away. It would take a long time to get ID’s to all the people who are eligible to vote. Although I do agree with the need for voter identification, I do not agree with the republicans reasoning behind it or their ways of accomplishing it. It seems evident that they are targeting the people who would be voting against them.
There is no right answer to this problem, as it would be impossible to please everyone in this situation. However the fairest way I can see is to have voters present an ID, however you wouldn’t have to vote in a designated district for national offices. Obviously for the person to vote for local offices, they should have to go to that area to vote. Even though this would exclude some people due to the fact that they don’t have an ID, it is imperative that our elections go without flaw, and not having to prove who you are makes it easier for voter fraud to occur. It would also be good to do this because we don’t want illegal immigrants voting for office. If you can’t prove your American with photo ID instead of a birth certificate, which doesn’t have anything to identify the person you shouldn’t be allowed to vote. The concept of not having to vote local is because what if your away at college as the article stated, you shouldn’t have to travel far back home just to vote. Instead you should be able to vote for all National and State held positions at any place in the state. Even though this plan isn’t flawless, I believe it would be the most effective way to stop voter fraud.
I disagree with the passing of the new voter I.D. laws, however; the current system that we have in place for voting doesn’t really work. The voter I.D. laws are on the brink of being unconstitutional. Voter identification laws hinder our Democratic system by preventing millions from voting, and are morally wrong, even though there are arguments (preventing voter fraud, because there are such HUGE amounts of it *sarcasm*) that support these laws legally. Citizens are prevented from voting, often because of situations that, ironically, sway them towards the Democratic Party. Anyway, regardless of the ethics of photo identification laws, proof of citizenship and residency is a non-issue to vote. In many states, I.D. cards much match the precinct of the election, but submitting an absentee ballot can solve this. If a student is far away, or an elderly person in a nursing home distant from where they are registered to vote, they can fill out an absentee ballot and submit it by mail. If they are too lazy to do so, then they are merely preventing themselves from voting. I.D. laws would be harmful to elections by devastating the amount of voters participating; lazy absentees are few compared to the 21 million prohibited to cast their vote. FOUR out of millions in Ohio were fraudulent—is identification really necessary, as long as you’re a U.S. citizen?
I think it is a good idea to have an ID at the voting station but the type of government IDs that a lot of people don’t have or wouldn’t bother to get is a little too unnecessary. From the article it shows that with this new law 21 million people would not be voting anymore. Mainly minorities, the poor, and the elderly who don’t have this specific type of identification that some states now want in order for you to be able to vote. I also think it is very important to have an ID because you don’t want to have any non-citizens or fraud ID’s in the voting process. If you don’t have citizenship in this country why should you have the right to vote? Maybe you care about the presidential election but if you cared enough you would get one of these ID’s. Percentages of people according to this article who don’t have the correct ID are 25% African American 20% Asian Americans 19% Latino Americans and more so from this data you can tell we would be loosing a good amount of our voters. In my opinion I think having a normal ID would do justice at the voting polls.
I believe voter IDs should not have to be used at voting stations in elections. Republicans say that these IDs should be issued to prevent voter fraud which barely even happens. As Colbert said on the Colbert Report, there were only 4 instances of voting fraud out of millions, which is a very small number. So the real reason for these voter IDs is to prevent Democrats from voting in the elections. Most of the Democrats that cannot obtain these IDs are the young (18-24), the elderly, the poor, and minorities. These are the people that voted for Obama a few years ago. Basically, the Republicans are trying to decrease the amount of Democratic votes so they can have a better chance in winning elections. These voter IDs will probably discourage younger people from voting because as the articles say, your regular and voting address have to be the same but most college students have different addresses. Most elderly people may not be able to get a voter ID and probably won’t have a license so they couldn’t vote if this law was passed in all states. The poor wouldn’t have transportation to get these IDs and wouldn’t have money to go through the process of getting a regular ID. These laws will also discourage minorities because many may not have an ID already and they probably will not want to get an ID anyways. So in the end, I think these voter ID laws are unnecessary.
Although the process is tedious and rather unnecessary, I do believe that is it necessary to ID voters in the upcoming 2012 election. Voter fraud is nothing to be taken lightly and although liberals will accuse conservatives of trying to steal away Democratic votes they need to look at the big picture. Voter fraud is a crime, and these voter ID laws that have been passed will be preventing crime, because let’s face it, no one likes to lose. Its human nature to want to be the best and desire perfection; so people will do whatever it takes to win. Sometimes winning comes at a shady price, like identity theft and fraud. So why not take action to prevent this from occurring? It really benefits both parties by making it nearly impossible for one to undermine the other. Yes, having an ID requirement does turn away certain voters but if you don’t have a state ID are you really entitled to vote in that state in the first place? If you can’t even prove you live there? People are always going to find something to complain about and put motives behind actions but it’s your constitutional right to vote, you aren’t required but you are entitled. I believe that if you really care about voting THAT much you will be willing to endure whatever it takes to make your vote count, and if you’re unable to vote its your fault in the first place. Plain and simple.
Alex Saenz
5-22-12
2nd
Blog #36-Voter ID Laws
I think that voter IDs are not a good idea because it would dingle out people unfairly and lead towards inequality. America is trying to be more equal in how they treat people, and I think that not allowing some people to vote is taking a huge step backwards. It wouldn’t be fair for college students, African Americans, elderly people, Latino people, and Asian people if they couldn’t vote. If someone went to college in California but lives in Michigan, it would be ridiculous for them to fly all the way back here just so they could vote. It would put a burden on a lot of people to have their addresses changed or if they simply just couldn’t vote because of that one thing. I don’t think that it’s right for the Republicans to pass this law just so they have better chances of winning; it’s like cheating. Sometimes poor people and foreign people and other people don’t have much and voting is one of the only things that they have. This right shouldn’t be taken from them as well. Also, the chances of voter fraud are fairly low, I think. I think that if 2% of voters were frauds that it wouldn’t make that much of a difference in the overall vote. Yes, this is bad, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it affects voters in a way so great that we have to make a law that takes away some people’s ability to vote. Most of them aren’t voter frauds. I think that there is a lot better way to go about handling this situation, and the government needs to really think about how it will affects people’s lives and if it affects them in a positive or negative way. They could ask for a picture ID, but not worry about the addresses or be picky with information. Hopefully the government comes up with a better way that will help out everyone in a positive way.
I believe that voter IDs should not be a requirement in order to vote. Voting is not a privilege, it’s a right. Therefore, everyone in America should be able to vote just by showing identification. According to the text, if Voter IDs were required 11% of America’s population would be illegible to vote. There are many college students that do have voter IDs, many poor people and the elderly don’t have that as well, and many others. This is about twenty-one million people and that is huge. All of these people do deserve the right to vote just by identifying themselves by showing other types of documentation. I understand that there could be some fraud here and there, but today, identification such as a driver’s license or passport is used all the time so why can’t that be enough to vote? Also, the amount of fraud would be affecting the elections a lot less, than having twenty-one million people not vote. I believe that America should allow anyone to vote just by showing their ID, but also sign a contract stating that they are an American citizen. This will prevent fraud because non-American citizens will be intimidated and may choose to not vote.
I can see why some people believe that voter ID’s are necessary, but I think they need to have more proof of what they’re trying to claim, before they can enact the law. There aren’t enough proven cases of voter fraud in the past that show that people are trying to take advantage of an election. Although voter ID’s are free, they need to be made more obtainable for college students, the elderly and poor people. The voter ID requires the voters to have the same address, as the poll district that they’re voting at. Basically, the requirement for the voter ID is just like the modern poll tax. It is hard for some people to get the state voter ID’s because there are so many documents that are needed to just apply for one. Also some states said that they would start to require a driver’s license to vote in elections. This would most likely just impact the elderly, poor or disabled who could be considered incapable of driving. Since it’s mostly Republicans voting for this bill to pass, it seems like they are trying to make it so that less people are voting Democrat because most elderly and poor people vote Democrat. But I feel that by passing this law, you are denying people their 24th Amendment right, along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. People fought so hard in the 1960s to gain completely equal voting rights, by abolishing the literacy tests and other poll taxes. This voter ID law is unconstitutional and should not be passed, because it will have a negative total impact on the country.
I personally think that states should not have voter ID laws. The biggest reason is number of occurrences. It said in the Colbert clip that out of about 9 million votes cast in Ohio, there were only four cases of voter fraud. Four. That is not nearly enough to have a big commotion about and start passing a lot of new, restrictive voting laws. Four votes won’t win an election for you. Everybody should have the chance to vote, and voter ID laws will stop that. Even if there are voter ID laws, fraud can still happen. I’m sure there are people out there that can make a very convincing-looking driver’s license. This whole thing is just a push by Republicans to limit the number of Democratic voters. The only reason they are sort of getting away with it is because they say they “want to limit the amount of voter fraud.” However, it is obvious that they are trying to deter the poor, young, elderly, and minorities from voting. Most of these groups vote Democratic and could be crucial to the upcoming election. I think voter ID laws should not be passed just to get back at the Republicans. They are playing a mean trick that should be punished. The only solution I can think of is harsher penalties for those who are caught. Hopefully, that would deter frauders from frauding.
Although I can see where voter fraud would be a large issue, I don’t believe that there have been enough proven cases of voter fraud to pass laws saying that all voters must have a state ID with them to vote. I think that it is unfair to pass these laws, because it is taking away the right or at least making it very difficult for some completely eligible people to vote. As it is stated above, states like Texas are very large and could take up to 14 hours to drive across. If a student or anyone for that matter, are going to school or living in another place and the address on their license and their address at the polling station do not match then they will not be able to vote. This creates a problem for them and makes matters very complicated. I don’t think that these laws will be that helpful in the long run. But I do think that if they want to be sure that there is no voter fraud then they should look into finding a different way to go about that. It is not fair that republicans can pass these laws because they want to limit who can vote. By eliminating the poor, elderly, students and minorities (people who usually vote democrat), then they think they will have an easier time in the upcoming election, and that is just not fair.
Yes. Voter I.D. should be required to vote, but the new restrictions put on voters and the requirement to bring government issued I.D. is not practical in the society we live in. Not only does it put more hassle on the voter, but also restricts those without proper identification. The new regulation requires a drivers license or passport. Many of which people do now have. These people that are being turned away from voting booths could be the deciding factor of who runs out towns, state, and even country. By casting a large group of voters away, the results would not display the true opinion of the American people. This is obviously an effort made by the Republican party to deny Democratic people the right to vote. The majority of young college students are voting for the Democratic party, which is the main group that does not have voter I.D.. The Republicans are therefor casting a false view on the results and pulling them to their favor. Not only is denying people the right to vote unjust but also unconstitutional. Yes, voter fraud is a problem, but government issued I.D. is not the only way we can solve this issue.
I see why there is such a big deal over the voter IDs, it is important that there isn’t any voter fraud during the elections. But I do believe that Republicans may just be trying to keep people from voting. The voter ID affects around 21 million Americans that are poor, elderly, or black. Because they don’t have a voter ID, they are not allowed to vote. It is interesting to find that many of these people usually vote Democratic and the Republicans were pushing for voter IDs. It is very similar to the poll tax that was abolished with the 24th amendment. The poll tax also prevented many poor and African Americans from voting. One of the greatest things about America is that you have the right to vote for your leaders. It is our most basic right. But when you do not allow people to vote just because they have not had the ability to get an ID is denying them their right to vote. The law in Texas should be loosened especially for college students, maybe something that shows that they go to college in the state. I do not have the ability to vote yet so I’m not entirely sure about how the whole system works. I personally don’t think the IDs are necessary but if there is still worry, then maybe just make it easier to have one. With all the electronics in this day and age, maybe a database of voters and a picture would help stop any voter fraud.
I do not understand why everyone is so worked up about voter fraud. Yes, it is cheating the system and is very illegal, but it has yet to become a major issue. There have not been any large numbers of reports claiming that voter frauds have occurred, but it does happen. I agree that since IDs and licenses are required at airports that it would be normal procedure to do the same thing at a voting ballot. That would be a very rational solution to this problem. But so many republican-legislators and other political figures need to calm down. If they are so concerned about minorities and young people voting for the wrong people, then either make an attempt to persuade them to the other side, or come to realize that they probably have common sense. It is ridiculous that people are so concerned about minorities and young people not having proper licenses to vote for their country. Voter fraud is an issue; I agree one hundred percent with that. But with number of voter fraud cases reported I do not think that it affects the voting process what so ever. There is no way that a few illegal voters could corrupt elections and undermine our government. If the number of illegal voters increased drastically then I think that IDs would be a perfect solution to this issue. But come on, there is no reason to get so freaked out about such a small number. My view on Voter IDs is that I do not care if they are required, but for no reason should they be enforced because of a need to eliminate minorities or any other party from an election; and political figures need to calm down. Voter IDs should be required if many people are cheating and breaking the law. They should not be enforced to increase chances of winning.
I think Voter ID’s are necessary, but only under certain conditions. Being an American in an American poll, shouldn’t only American’s vote? Voter ID’s would eliminate the fraud. Although I agree with one of the Republican’s points, I do not agree with them all. I think that the major issue is making sure every citizen has a Voter ID. Sure, this may be difficult to maintain or supply; however, it would give every individual an equal chance to voice their opinion in a country built on freedom and equality. More offices should be established in areas that are more prominent with older individuals, near college campuses, and in towns that have a higher minority population. By ensuring that the offices are available to all, there would be fewer tendencies to fight the idea. I think, in regards to those who just don’t have the paperwork, that the government should supply them with the necessary paperwork. Then the 25% of African Americans would be given the chance to vote…so would the 20% Asian Americans…and the 19% Latino Americans, and so on. In this situation, the Republicans are not playing by a two-way street. They want to play the game their way, with their rules and terms and conditions. But it should be the people’s voice speaking out and saying what should come and what should go. If the government wants to create a true fair and equal system, then they must cover all aspects of the conditions. I find it cruel, ironic, and racist that the voters – specifically Latino – are “guilty until proven innocent,” the complete opposite of our legal system. That needs to end. Not only would Voter ID’s limit the amount of fraud passing through America’s polls, but also, under these revised conditions, provide a more equal and fairer society.
I believe that Voter ID should not be required in order to vote, or at least have less restrictions on what you would be able to use to prove your identity. When 15% of all citizens do not have a government issued ID, it is obvious that you are taking away people’s right to vote, a right that is important in American Society where the people we elect are the ones who create our laws. I suppose the question that people have to ask themselves when they think about is this. What is more important; stopping a few cases of voter fraud that happens in very small amounts, or denying some elderly, fresh voters, and minority groups the right to vote just because they might not have Government issued ID? To me, it is more hurtful to deny someone their rights just because of a reason that is mostly blown out of proportion. It is now 2012, and we should leave old voting restrictions behind us. In the end, who will they hurt more; the voter fraud people or America in a whole? (As for how this would affect my life, personally, I know that my brother just turned 18, and yet he still doesn’t have his driver’s license. What would he do if he wants to vote?)
Having Voter ID Laws is almost a non-issue. It should have a minimal affect because of the wide range of photo ID’s someone can easily acquire. For example in Florida, you can use a Florida driver’s license, Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, United States passport, Debit or credit card, Military identification, Student identification, Retirement center identification, Neighborhood association identification, and Public assistance identification. These are all options for the average voter, and to come to the conclusion that it would be too hard for someone to acquire one of these is ridiculous. The voter ID doesn’t really have much of an affect; besides the baseline precautions it creates. For inter-state voters at Universities, they can register for a passport. If voting is important to that person, they will find a way to get identification, or travel back to their town of residence. It may be a Republican ploy, but if it is, it has too many holes to be effective. There are so many ways to get an ID, and the laws are passed in generally Republican States. By doing this, wouldn’t they be restraining their own voters? Anyway, in Florida all you need is a credit card, I mean really, how many people don’t have those now a days?
I agree, that government issued identification should be required to vote. Though the laws should be toned down a notch. Not everyone that is eligible to vote has an ID available at hand. If the government decides to pass these laws, they should also pass a law that gives some leniency to these people. About the location issues . . . they should be lifted. An American citizen is still a citizen no matter where they live. If, as said in the blog, a college kid is eligible to vote, the should not be required to drive half a day to there registered ID location, just to vote. Back to eligible voting. A quarter of the African American population does not own a government issued ID. With a huge chunk of the US population not owning an ID, the 2012 elections will have drastic changes and outcomes compared to previous elections.
I strongly disagree with the voter ID laws that are being put into place. Although these laws aren’t as harsh and upfront as a poll tax and literacy tests, this is still a giant republican middle finger to the voting population. Regardless of motives, these laws are still useless and undermining, causing a lower percentage of an already lowly percentage of voters (around 61% of Americans in 2008) this number would drop down to around 50% if these laws were passed federally. This in itself has a major effect on the election. If only half of our population votes, does that candidate really deserve america’s support? Coming from my mostly liberal, democratic views, I strongly disagree with the strategies of many republicans to sway the vote their way. I view this as an attack at the freedom of voting and the restriction of young people and minorities. A little voter fraud is the risk I’m willing to take to allow everyone to vote, regardless of an ID
There is no doubt that in the upcoming election, you want the polls to be as accurate as possible. Voter fraud is known to have changed elections before and it could in the 2012 election. Why should people who aren’t citizens be allowed to vote when you have groups that fought tooth and nail to have the right to vote? It just isn’t fair. However, though I feel that the Voter ID law is necessary, it should definantly be adjusted. I see where they COULD be coming from, but like the article says- it does seem like the republican Texas wants to limit certain groups from voting (thus limiting the amount of democratic votes). For example, the address for the voter at the polling station and on the ID should not have to be the same. I feel like though voter fraud is trying to be prevented, an empathetic view is needed by lawmakers for college students. I mean why be so specific against something that occurs so little? There certainly hasn’t been enough cases of voter fraud to cause legislation to nit-pick at identification provided by the voter. We, as a country, want to encourage younger people to vote most of all. So why make it so hard for them by making an unnecessary addition to this law?
I believe that forcing people to present ID when voting is a good idea in theory, because it can in fact partially prevent voter fraud; however, it also completely excludes the elderly, college students, and most of the minorities in the United States of America. Many citizens of the United States take the elections and voting very seriously, but to have their right as an American citizen to vote stripped away from them is simply unconstitutional. Our founding fathers would possibly agree with this law, but also try to find a way so that no one other than illegal aliens is excluded from the voting system. There are many other ways to avoid corruption and voter fraud, without excluding any and all citizens of the US. As Americans, we have the right to vote for whom we want without telling anyone; with or without ID. To me, this looks like another cry for help on the Republican Party’s politicians. This new law is obviously targeting most of the groups who are known for voting democratically, so with this new law the Democrats would lose almost all of their votes. There is also a possibility that those who are excluded from voting (if this law does pass) would not go down without a fight. Riots and protests could break out across the nation. History shows that the US citizens don’t do well with change; and passing this law would be a major change in the widely known voting system.
It is hard to choose one side with the new voter ID laws, but I think that the pros outweigh the cons. I was wondering, would there be as much suspicion behind this new law if it was proposed by Democrats, versus the Republicans that did propose it? The people these laws are targeting are the poor, the elderly, the college students, and the minorities and all of these groups make up a significant part of the democratic vote. I do not think that this was a form of sabotage on the Democratic party, I just think that it is a possible solution for the voter fraud in America. If this law is indeed enforced, I think that legal citizens that do not possess an ID should be given the chance to get one before it is time for the 2012 election. It is a problem that 25% of eligible African American voters do not have an ID, which would make them ineligible to vote in the next election. I am hesitant about the fairness of these laws because they are trying to be enforced in such a small time period before the election and it seems unreasonable. For myself and others to believe that this is not just the Republicans’ way of targeting their opponent, I think that the government should take their time and make sure that every citizen has an ID then enforce this policy in the 2016 election.
I think that voter IDs are important and should be used when voting just like they are used in an airport to confirm the voter’s identity. Having these IDs could prevent voter fraud. No matter how small the amount of voter fraud there is, it is still important. The United States was built off of good morals such as honesty, and I think the only way to keep our morals in tact is to honor the truth and try our best to keep all fraud out of the voting process. However, I don’t think its fair that minorities, the elderly, the poor and college students are affected by the laws on having voter IDs to vote. It isn’t right to keep people from voting because they don’t have an ID, which as we read in the blog, is quite common for these groups of people. It is especially unfair to keep people who DO have IDs from voting if the address for the voter at the polling station is different from the address on their ID, as they are trying to do in Texas. I don’t see any reason as to why the law has to be so strict in this particular situation. People should be allowed to use substitutes to an ID such as a student ID or even bank statements. This would give people who don’t have IDs a chance to vote and make voting much more fair to not only the people voting, but also it would give both parties an equal chance in the race, since the majority of the people that are being restricted from voting would be voting democratically. The more people that are kept from voting, the less votes there are for the Democratic Party, which is completely unconstitutional.
Personally, I think that the voter ID laws should be revised. While I do think it is necessary to show ID, and possibly even photo ID, when voting, it should not be causing such problems and preventing a lot of people to vote. These people consist mostly of young adults, minorities, the poor, and the elderly. I think that they should change the laws so that the ID requirements are more flexible. Maybe they could get rid of the constant address rule because that seems to be causing the most problems for college students. This way, many more people would be able to vote. If the point is to prevent voter fraud, we should think about how much it really would affect the voting results before we make laws to try and prevent it. Whether or not it is the intention, these voter laws may prevent many Democrats from voting. Voting should be a right given to all who qualify, including those who cannot get the right picture ID for the election. Increasing voter participation makes the election fairer. In conclusion, it makes sense to have some voter ID laws to eliminate voter fraud, but it should not be preventing a huge amount of people from voting.
Like with many other problems that we face, identification or not at polls deserves no definite decision. There are so many aspects to this issue that bring up many different points. For one, it is great to help to solve the problem with voter fraud, and preventing any untruthfulness at the polls is a good thing. It is completely true that voter fraud and any other type of cheating at the polls is undermining the government and is the exact opposite of morals of which voting was made for. But when it comes to denying people their own rights to vote is a little absurd when based solely to attack a political party. To me, it sounds a little like republicans are playing hardball and unfair politics, and it doesn’t seem fair to me. I find it very ironic that in a country that worked very hard to become a democracy, there are many aspects of it that make it less and less justified all the time. So in all, I believe that creating laws that require IDs for voting are a little too off the deep-end for me, and I personally believe that these laws should no be passed.
Voter ID laws are only imposed because those who support them are not comfortable with how much power they want. The states that have them are mainly Republican, and the Republicans don’t want people that support the Democratic Party to vote. The idea of voter IDs is not a fully threshed out idea since it is the right of the people to vote for whomever they please and denying them that right because of not having a simple ID is absolutely preposterous. Here’s a good idea to prevent voter fraud affecting the vote: throw out the votes placed by those people! As Colbert quoted that out of more than nine MILLION votes, there were four cases of fraud, and this comparatively microscopic amount doesn’t matter when the sway of just 4 million can change an entire state’s decision in the Electoral College. In fact, imposing such laws would take away the right to vote from people who don’t have an ID but still want to vote because they are eligible. I do suppose that the next best thing to these laws, if they or similar ones were to stay in place, would be to have a requirement to only have one document that shows citizenship in the U.S. Finally, why is this even being argued over? Why can’t these babies that run our country learn to be more mature than a five year-old?
I think that the laws for voting should require the form of some sort of identification because proving where you are from and who you are when voting is an important aspect of the right to vote, but I don’t think it should be so strict and difficult to accomplish. The fact that someone may have to take a 12-14 hour drive just to make it possible to vote is completely unnecessary. The fact that a government issued ID is required is not possible for most people age 18-24, so that makes it almost impossible for any of those citizens to vote. The idea that identification is necessary to vote isn’t the problem, but it should just be any form of ID, as long as it proves that you are the correct age and have citizenship, voting should be allowed. Yes, this could help cut down voter fraud, but it makes it very difficult on the poor and the young people of our country and in my opinion the less fortunate and the new people experiencing life have just as much if not more to say than the people who vote every year. The new opinions a diverse voting pool brings allows a more equal voting balance and if this law was passed these people couldn’t vote and they would be denied their right to add a different view and opinion in. the biggest thing is that you need proof of identification, if that can be proven why deny anyone who should be allowed the right to vote, the right to vote
I see why states are now passing laws to require some sort of Id when voting for this election, but I disagree from taking some Americans chances at voting when they can’t acquire an Id of any sort for any reason. I believe though that they should be a citizen of this country to vote and they should check if the person is eligible to vote. But taking the chances away from like what they said in the article from the poor, the elderly, college students, and minorities (estimated 21 million, according to the article dated April 2, 2012). This creates a problem for these people which are a major contributor to the voters in this country. They should stop voter fraud even with the few cases and that’s why some of these laws are in affect as well. Some reasons why these laws are in place or not many Republican legislators support them for the wrong reason, even if the effects are small, they can still matter in razor-thin elections, even when effects are too small to affect the outcome of elections, we should not make it harder for people to vote for no good reason, and what we really need is universal voter registration supported by the government, and national voter identification cards with optional thumbprints. These are some people’s opinions on this topic some I agree with some I do not. The government put these laws in place that’s how they got passed in the first place but for the problems that cause people they just have to get through it if they want a piece of the pie for this American election.
In my opinion, there isn’t a correct stand you can choose. There are pros to voter I.D. laws and there are cons to this law. One of the pros would include how this law has the potential to stop and prevent voter fraud. By incorporating the use of voter I.D., voter fraud would “stop corrupting and undermine our form of government”. Indeed, voter I.D. laws could help the United States with several problems. However, if you think about the cons associated with this law, you wouldn’t want to make a decision quite yet. If this law is potentially created, the poor, the elderly, college students, and minorities would take the largest hit. An estimated 21 million people could make a difference in the November election no? If the address on the I.D. doesn’t have to be the same as the voter at the polling station, then that could solve the college student’s unavailability to vote. To eliminate the poor and elderly, the process of obtaining a state identification could be made mandatory. If these two suggestions are maybe incorporated to obtain voter I.D.s, the U.S. may have a chance to try and pass this law. This law is a disadvantage to many types of people with different backgrounds. This cannot happen because a law is a rule that everyone follows, and also a rule that is fair to everyone. By excluding college students, the poor, the elderly, and the minorities from voting would signify to the many citizens in the U.S. and the rest of the world, that America is not at all great as they make it to be.
Voter ID laws seem innocent in theory; however, when the statists of what voters will be restricted from voting are revealed intentions of the laws become clear. It is very suspicious for the Republican legislation to pass these laws right around the time of election, especially when the majority of affected voters are voters that would vote for Obama in the 2012 election. As proven in many statistics, voter fraud is a rare occurrence; therefore, such a hard crackdown on registration seems unnecessary. Many Democratic leaders claim that this law serves as another poll tax because of the types of voters that this law would restrict. Although it is understandable to question the law’s intentions, it is a step too far to call the new legislation a poll tax. The poll tax was instituted during a very different time, and if such a thing were attempted to be revived today, the government would crack down hard on it. Republican legislation also makes a valid point when they say that valid state issued IDs are required for many things, so why not voting as well? Both sides of the issue make substantial arguments; however, it seems evident that a compromise is needed. Some eligible voters simply don’t have government issued IDs; accordingly, exceptions should be made for these voters. Students should be permitted to show a school ID or another similar document that would prove their residence to vote. Students should also be permitted to vote in the state they attend college in. It is ridiculous to make it necessary for a road trip home to vote. Other citizens without a state ID should simply be allowed to show evidence that they pay their taxes, or legally have filed for bankruptcy if they are not able to pay their taxes. The American government is smart enough to come up with a solution to this “massive problem” of voter fraud, without stealing the rights if eligible Americans to vote. Every American has the right to vote, Republican, Democrat or Independent, and it is simply unconstitutional to take away this right on grounds of marginal statics.
I do not think voter ids are a good thing. I believe that it is not fair to do many people on not having them so it just won’t work. I do think that there needs to be something for the voter to verify they are from the U.S and are over 18. If they just go and let anyone vote there will be way to many issues about what is happening. There also will be voter fraud in giant amounts. I think there need so be some voter ID type because of all the different fraud, but I think everyone who wants to vote should have the ability to. There is also the issue of having to vote locally. If someone is away at college they should not have to come back to vote. It would just make a very large amount of students not vote and then we are losing a percentage of voters, which could potentially change the outcome of the situation. I also believe that having voter IDs take away some rights that we have as Americans. It will just never end up in a good situation with these problems and what happens with voter IDs.
When it comes to voting a such a large scale election, there will always be a risk of voter fraud. Requiring a picture ID may help the numbers slightly, but it will not be enough to completely eliminate voter fraud all together. Not to mention that requiring ID may discourage minorities and lower class citizens from voting. This bill is just a modern Jim Crow law: the government is using this bill to shape the American population of voters into what they want them to be.
Whether this was done intentionally or not by the senators endorsing this bill, I do not know. Intentional or accidental, if this law is passed, it will deny some American citizens the right to vote which is guaranteed to them in the constitution. Some people in this country cannot afford a drivers license or even a state issued ID. Or maybe they can’t afford the gas money to get them to the nearest Secretary of State Office. If poorer citizens of this country still have to follow the laws set by the leaders, they should have a say in who those leaders are.
If more lower class citizens stop voting, then future presidential candidates may cut the poorer states and cities of this country out of their campaign trail. If this law is passed, our nations elections will be controlled by the wealthy and only he wealthy.
We cannot completely eliminate voter fraud. We see it even looking as far back as 1889, when citizens of the Oklahoma Land Rush would stand in line to vote for mayor, and run to the back of the line to vote again. Though our systems today have gotten slightly more high tech, voter fraud will still happen. This bill is immoral and a wast of time.
In this contentious issue of voter I.D, I believe that voter I.D’s are extremely unnecessary and prevent eligible people from voting in elections. One of our Founding Father’s beliefs was that every single person had the right to vote, and when one of these bills are passed, a large amount of people are denied this right. Its very hard to rationalize a law requiring i.d. when it doesn’t affect everyone, most of the time only the poor and disadvantaged. I believe that voter laws are a poll tax and should be outlawed as an unconstitutional law against rights
I agree and disagree. I feel as though we should require some form of proof of who you are, but it should maybe be easier for people to get this ID. Maybe People should be allowed to use an energy bill or something of the sort. I also feel as though this issue was an issue of party politics rather than the actual dilemma, and that many people were/ are too focused on how ‘this is an attack on one party’ or something.
Frankly, I believe that partisian politics have no place in things like this. Whether or not this is an attack on the democratic party is beside the point. What’s actually relevant is if this is an attack on the minority.
The fact that this has been made into partisian politics or even a result of it is ridiculous. And yes, I believe that voting should be made accessible for everyone, but if you won’t fight for your right to vote then why do you deserve it?
The voter ID idea is terrible idea cause it makes its harder to vote period. Without a doubt it will make less people vote which is a problem to begin with. So, in a sense you are censoring America by not letting a certain amount of poeple vote. I do understand the idea that you must protect the country from voter fraud but in erality I think the censorship will be an even bigger fraud then, what its trying to protect against. So when you censor the voting then your not any better than the people that instutued the poll tax or literacy teszt cause really you are doing the same thing> cause if this goes through a certain amount of people in the article it said upwards of eleven million people> (my keyboard is broken it keep typine> when i want a period) Which in are country that has roughly 300million people that would be 3-5% which right now we dont have enough voters then we cut back on even more voters? How does that make sense it will just further corrupt are goveremnt as a country. So hopefully this will not go through. Cause it will only negativly affect are country.
in many state legislatures this year. Last year, 34 states considered voter ID legislation. This year, legislation is pending in 32 states so far. That includes new voter ID proposals in 14 states, proposals to strengthen existing voter ID laws in ten states, and bills in ten states to amend existing laws, many of them new voter ID laws passed in 2011. The fact that people feel like our goverment is trying to be mean is bogus we shouldnt feel like that. The goverment is trying to help prevent voter fraud. There are millions of ways to get an Idenfication. You just can’t be lazy and sit there and wait for something to happen. People need to go get a drivers license, passport, bills, paychecks. what ever they can find to vote instead of sitting and complaining. the Democratic party should combat these laws instead of teking their anger out on the Republicans and feel sorry for themselves.
Voter I.Ds do not take away the right to vote but they sort of limit certain people’s rights due to the figures in the article there are a good amount of low income households in America. And along with getting people to purchase their I.Ds we still have to push people to go out and vote which is like pulling teeth. I believe if the republicans or whoever is pushing these voter ID laws really want this to go through they should compromise giving out these I.Ds for free for those who can’t purchase them. Politicians these days seem to just put a bill or law out there without compromising for citizens needs. Now the reason why people find the whole idea controversial is because this idea could have been presented in earlier years and the majority of low income households are democratic and minorities which makes the whole idea look like a setup to stop the right to vote for minorities. In my opinion if people struggle with it so much and they don’t want the Republicans to have the last laugh , then they should just all go out their buy these voter I.Ds and then see what else would happen after that. Would there be more laws restraining voters or was this for security purposes.
Yes some Republicans could honestly care less about voter fraud and really they just want to make sure Obama doesn’t win a second term, but nevertheless this law is now going into action and now we should just try to make the best out of this law. I believe that there could be a compromise with this new voter ID law. I think it is a good idea that people need to show some sort of identification in order to prove that they can vote, but I do know how hard that could be for some people. Yes getting a passport could cost only ten dollars, but for some, those 10 dollars could be a family’s food budget or money for gas that week. Our society doesn’t realize how fortunate we are to have the things that we do. I do believe that if this law does go into place, then anyone who cannot afford to buy some sort of identification than they should be provided it, because it is an Americans right to vote for who is the leader of their country. Also, the rule that you have to be in the same area as what your address is on your ID is ridiculous, that’s just people trying to be annoying. I think that law should be taken away; as long as you’re an American citizen at the age of 18 or older you should be able to vote wherever you are currently residing. Otherwise, students that are in college and could possibly vote more liberal cannot vote. Huh, interesting. You know say what you want about the Republican Party but this law that is making sure that youngsters and minorities that could be liberal will have a hard time to vote for a Democratic candidate is freaking genius politics.
The concept of voter ID seems good but in the long run it is constitutionally wrong. The constitution says that every American citizen has the right to vote. By forcing people to get IDs is constitutionally wrong. To get and ID it costs money and you have to have a way to get there. This creates problems for minorities and and lass fortunate people. Making it mandatory to have an ID in order to vote is a republican way of getting ahead in the election. The republican party dates that they want voter IDS so the voting fraud doesn’t happen.their statement is not at all true the percent of voting fraud is so small that it almost doesn’t exist. The true reason the republicans want it to be mandatory to have an ID to vote is because a large portion of democratic voters are in the minority or are elderly or just starting to vote. Voter ID is discriminating and is discouraging rope to vote. It is understandable why it would be necessary to have some form of ID but it shouldn’t have to be a certain form. People that think we should have an ID are thinking that it will help stop fraud and create a more moral election. But the fact of the matter is that using IDs actually creates a more bias environment to vote in because not everyone is allowed to vote.
I believe that the Voter Id law is a good Idea. It prevents voter fraud, even though it is a small margin, and encourages U.S citizens to have ids. The problem is that most Ids cost money, which disgorges low income households not to get any. I personally believe that people should be able to show anything that proves they are who they say they are such as a high school diploma or even a government issued id that just shows who the person is that is paid through the persons taxes. Either way the government should make sure that people have more opportunities to any form of Id before instating this law. One issue that students had with this law was not being able to vote unless they are in the state that their Id is registered in. This is just students being lazy because the students don’t want to get an absentee ballet, which is the thing to do if you are going to be out of state during the elections. People are not paying a pole tax while buying an Id because the Id can be used for other things, like going out of the country, buying Liquor, buying with a credit card, buying a weapon, or being allowed to drive. People should set their spending priorities and get an Id.
Everything about requiring voter id’s is wrong. There is no clear points for having these laws. The amount of fraud that occurs each year is so small that it barely effects anything. So the argument that voter ids is protecting us from fraud can be ruled out. But that’s really the only thing they seem to be outwardly arguing for the case of voter id’s because the other topics are extremely controversial. Some officials have come out saying is that poor people and college students shouldn’t have a right to vote and these new laws will make it extremely hard for both of these groups to vote. I don’t see how someone in college is less able to make a choice of who to vote for than anyone else. Also in one interview it said that people who cant even own a house shouldn’t be able to vote. I believe that statement is ignorance at its finest. Not everyone brought their poverty upon themselves. So thank you Mr. Rich Congress Man for making gross generalizations about poverty stricken people in America. Another thing that is wrong is how these laws are mostly being made by Republican states. Obviously that means that they are trying to limit the people who can vote democratically. Personally I think that the act of limiting who can vote for who should be considered fraud! Freedom and justice for all? That’s not what these laws are conveying…
I am for having voter ID’s at the polls for elections. I think that the positives way outweigh the negatives. I don’t have a strong emotional feeling towards this topic. I believe in democratic values and their stances usually, but I don’t really associate myself with a party. Sure the voter ID laws are going to affect mainly the Democratic Party, but how hard would it be to get an absentee ballot or even just a birth certificate or passport. I like where it says showing an ID like a driver’s license or passport at the airport is normal. In class, Mr. Wickersham said that that was off topic, but it relates perfectly. An airport I’m sure used to not have to show ID, just enough money to buy a ticket was required. They added the “hassle” of showing ID for safety and to know exactly who is voting and who’s not. I do think that it can stop voter fraud, but it can lessen it. If only 24 cases happen per year average, then it could cut it to only 12 – half the amount. On the Colbert Report, William O’Brien said that college students (a group being affected by ID laws) don’t have enough life experience to vote and vote with their feelings. That isn’t a bad thing, and it certainly isn’t a reason to limit their voting. At least have a good reason to back yourself up! Anyway, I believe voter ID laws are useful, and should be made as an Amendment to the US Constitution. This takes the power from the states alone and keeps it among all parties. As a 28th Amendment, it would serve well and would people would have a chance to hear from all sides and explain this elephant in the room.
Voter I.D. laws are pointless, being a republican, it’s hard to go against my beliefs’ party but at the same time it’s ridiculous to think that. But, both sides have very good points. The people for it have pointed out that having a picture I.D is required for virtually everything else and it would be almost impossible to function in today’s society without one. On the other hand, the people against it have pointed out that if they really are trying to stop voter fraud, something so clearly miniscule (resulting in a whopping 4 cases average per state last election!) don’t you think they would do something a little more effective than lose a possible vote for themselves? I find it hard to believe that so many people are having trouble with the I.D laws due to their current position (at college, away from their hometown). If you really do want to vote, they have made such a thing as an “absentee ballot”, in which, with proper forms, allows you to vote from somewhere other than your hometown (a popular option for kids who are away at college and are unable to vote from the city they are in). I must say that voter I.D laws are quite reminiscent of voter polls segregating against minorities but to say that the goal of the I.D laws is to deny minorities the right to vote is a little bit too strong of an inference.
Alec B.
I don’t think voter Id laws would be at all beneficial.It’s ridiculous and I’d argue it’s even a non-issue.First of all, there really isn’t nearly enough cases of voting fraud anywhere to justify that laws like this are in any way necessary. It’s just more hassle and more issues and concerns to figure out exactly what you need, depending on your state, what piece of identification would work ect. just so you can vote. And this would be very discriminatory against minorities who don’t have proper id. If voter fraud were a legitimate concern, I would argue that it is a voter’s responsibility to put in that extra effort in order to make sure no illegal voting occurs, but with the numbers as minuscule as they are it’s simply completely irrational and unnecessary to implement this at all. I think it’s fairly obvious what is behind this sudden push for voter id’s and it’s awful that politicians are backing up this idea by trying to fool the public by saying this is “protecting america’s freedom”, it makes me so angry that they’re using these little catchphrases in order to get people who don’t know the facts to agree to these laws and therefore discriminate against huge amounts of people!