Of course it’s not a good reason, but it’s also not the main complaint. That’s a disingenuous argument.
The problem is that the locations that offer IDs become political footballs.
Imagine that you change the law to require a certain type of ID in order to vote (even though you already have a social security card, it doesn’t count for voting purposes), and that said ID cannot be acquired via mail.
Imagine, then, that the place you go to get the necessary ID is closed down, or intentionally understaffed via defunding/budget cuts. Hours reduced to 10am-4pm Monday through Friday, perhaps, when most people work. The next nearest location may be hours away. It may not be accessible via public transit. It then becomes incredibly burdensome for someone with limited time, transportation, or income to get the necessary ID. Now you’re able to control access to the IDs in lower income areas by shuttering or defunding locations.
This isn’t just a theoretical situation. This occurs.
Now, I think you’ll find that most people are onboard with requiring ID to vote, provided that the barriers to getting the ID do not have a chilling effect on low-income voters.
But that’s not the way things tend to go.
Present a plan that expands access to the ID printing services and watch the resistance to these sorts of policies disappear. Or better yet, mail one to every eligible taxpayer the first time they file a tax return. It’s not particularly difficult.
Exactly, if the government were to put in effort to ensure every citizen has an eligible ID and were held accountable for failures in it then I’d be all on board with voter ID laws. As it stands now I fear my vote might get thrown out because my passport and birth certificate don’t match
Of course it’s not a good reason, but it’s also not the main complaint. That’s a disingenuous argument.
The problem is that the locations that offer IDs become political footballs.
Imagine that you change the law to require a certain type of ID in order to vote (even though you already have a social security card, it doesn’t count for voting purposes), and that said ID cannot be acquired via mail.
Imagine, then, that the place you go to get the necessary ID is closed down, or intentionally understaffed via defunding/budget cuts. Hours reduced to 10am-4pm Monday through Friday, perhaps, when most people work. The next nearest location may be hours away. It may not be accessible via public transit. It then becomes incredibly burdensome for someone with limited time, transportation, or income to get the necessary ID. Now you’re able to control access to the IDs in lower income areas by shuttering or defunding locations.
This isn’t just a theoretical situation. This occurs.
Now, I think you’ll find that most people are onboard with requiring ID to vote, provided that the barriers to getting the ID do not have a chilling effect on low-income voters.
But that’s not the way things tend to go.
Present a plan that expands access to the ID printing services and watch the resistance to these sorts of policies disappear. Or better yet, mail one to every eligible taxpayer the first time they file a tax return. It’s not particularly difficult.
Exactly, if the government were to put in effort to ensure every citizen has an eligible ID and were held accountable for failures in it then I’d be all on board with voter ID laws. As it stands now I fear my vote might get thrown out because my passport and birth certificate don’t match