I
am seeing more and more things about government issued photo ID for voting and
increasingly restrictive voting laws supposedly aimed at fighting fraud (that
repeated investigations have found to be so negligible as to be effectively
non-existent) that effectively suppresses voter participation. When those
promoting these measures use language such as “quality voters,” clearly they
are seeking to discourage voters who are unlikely to vote their preferences.
This
has stirred up my thinking about voter ID, so I want to set down my thoughts in
a somewhat orderly fashion and can move my mind onto other things.
To
be clear, I am not at all opposed to government issued photo IDs for voting.
Having said that, I believe getting a qualifying ID should be easy for all
citizens and not manipulated in a way to disenfranchise significant
populations, which are often invisible to people who live in suburb-like communities
and assume everyone lives as they do. My thoughts are not comprehensive, but I
hope by getting them out of my head, if someone else reads them their thoughts
may be stimulated as well.
To
me the most obvious population this applies to are those, largely living in
urban cores, who do not have cars, do not need driver's licenses, and use public
transportation or walk for work, shopping, church, etc. Because they are often
employed hourly, they cannot get to a DMV office during business hours. Sadly, in
too many communities, the closing of DMV offices has coincided with photo ID
voter requirements. I can’t say for sure that is intentional, but it is still
harmful.
The
assumption at everyone has a driver's license or can get an ID at a DMV office
is just not real. The objection that ID is needed to buy alcohol or tobacco is
also faulty. Those who shop in neighborhood stores where they are known to be
of age may not be asked for ID, not to mention that they may not be indulging
in the “vices” used to disparage them. Also, they may not be regular patients
of physicians or hospitals that routinely expect ID and insurance. Emergency
rooms and neighborhood clinics have different procedures, and many avoid
medical care as too costly.
Some
of the voter ID laws exclude the IDs of those who live in government public
housing, even those are government issued with photos. I think a good start
would be to accept those IDs for voting. I have also done some brainstorming on
ways to make getting a suitable ID accessible and convenient. With the same
technology that discount stores use for their membership cards, many government
entities could be empowered to issue photo IDs. Some of my thoughts are: city,
county, and state colleges and universities (for community people beyond the student
IDs that are not always acceptable for voting); public libraries; police
stations; city and county offices, including social services; post offices. My
thinking is that in our cities and towns, everyone should be able to walk to a
place where they can get an ID acceptable for voting at minimal cost with
reasonable documentation.
Yes,
including affirming they are US citizens. Keep in mind, those of us who are born
US citizens have birth certificates but not the kind of documents that
immigrants get when they are naturalized. Digital accessibility to those birth
certificates could facilitate those whose families were not fastidious in
passing documents to their children. Thus, someone who was born a US citizen may not have their birth certificate in a desk
drawer (some older folk born in rural areas may not have a birth certificate at
all).
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