NEW YORK—The Trump administration and its radical right foot-soldiers in the federal government and in the states are undertaking a comprehensive scheme to undermine future state and federal elections, in effect rigging the rolls to keep themselves in power no matter what the voters decide.
Requiring ID to be able to vote should not be a hot take
Thats why other countries are doing it that way. The problem is, that the US system makes it very difficult to get an ID for its long list of undesireables. And with that I mean everyone, who is not white, heteronormative, cis and not-poor. If the US fixes these problems and issues IDs for every of its citizens, then requiring the ID for voting is a good idea. Unfortunately that is a big big If, carrying a lot of weight.
I’ve never lived somewhere you need an ID to vote. It’s far from universal.
It’s roughly how it works elsewhere. I was surprised to see that you don’t need an id or a document to vote there.
Yeah, I don’t get that one either. Granted, I’m not registered or ever plan to vote unless/until direct democracy exists, but how do they determine if you’re in the right district, precinct, etc. without confirming your identity? I would think that making sure people are doing things correctly and fairly would be a thing most people that aren’t trying to cheat the system would want.
It’s because we don’t have a FREE federal ID. There is no mechanism by which someone with no money can get any identification paperwork. If that were possible, I agree requiring an ID would be good, but until then it just weeds out the poorest.
you guys have to pay for your government ID? wtf?
Yes. Yes we do. Passport costs money. Driver’s license costs money. Green card costs money. Getting to any of these places that distribute them costs money and you need like 4-5 different documents to prove who you are (other IDs, bills with your residence, etc).
All of that is probably the “easy” stuff to get.
damn, most provinces here in Canada aren’t free either. I did not know that. anywhere from $15-50 for a photo ID that expires every four to five years. I’m disappointed in that.
the other stuff having a fee makes sense to me, but photo ID (not driver’s license)? at least the health card is free
Fucking stupid
Sorry but as you are a non-voter, your opinion doesn’t matter.
You could be drawing the most detailed genitalia on your voting ballot, but you’ve missed some hairy opportunities, I feel sorry for you man/ma’am
Because it’s a barrier to voting that disproportionately disadvantages poor people.
Then give out ids for free.
Firstly, free anything sounds very un-american.
More generally though, that doesn’t really solve the problem.
People living in poverty often just don’t have the time, access, and / or mental acuity to attend to this type of personal administration stuff.
If you’re living hand-to-mouth, it’s just not a priority… you can’t eat your ID.
If you don’t have a home it may be difficult to obtain an ID, and if you have one it might be difficult to keep it.