| Kantor said: I'm not sure I get this problem with requiring a photo ID. Surely a valid driver's license, obtainable in the US two full years before you can even vote, would count as valid photo ID? And a passport would do the same? Is it so much to ask that every citizen of what is an extremely affluent country has one of those things? And I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives available. |
Well ... yes, actually. It might be an affluent country but that doesn't mean all its citizens are. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on Presidential campaigns but a significant percentage of the country lives below the poverty line and/or is unemployed. Millions of people do not drive and have no access to a car, especially in the inner city, where the cost of buying and owning a car is extremely high. Requiring a driver's license to vote is an unreasonable expectation. A Passport is around $135 and the North America-only Passport Card is $60, with like a 4-6 week wait. They also have quite a few hoops to jump through, and many people have no idea how or where to get one. Looking it up online--hmm, the nearest place for me to apply is 19 miles away. That's a pretty substantial barrier that a lot of people aren't going to cross simply to vote.
Make no mistake, the positions of both sides are entirely centered around political advantage. The Republicans absolutely want this because they KNOW it could cut out a nice little chunk of voters. If they thought it would hurt them more than it would help then they wouldn't push for it. Democrats don't want it for the exact same reason. Neither side has an altruistic motive in mind.
Personally, I have no problem with requiring a form of photo ID to vote, provided significant steps are taken to ensure that people know they will need one before hand, that they are educated about how to get one, and that accessibility is ensured--for example, asking that someone sick or disabled stand in line all day at the DMV is hardly fair. You can get a State ID card for under $20 in most places, but a lot of people don't know that, and as I said, the DMV can be a hassle that takes the better part of a day.
As with most things, compromise would solve this, but it's now become a political issue they both sides want to WIN rather than work out logically. I do believe, however, that the first year a photo ID is required to vote, that every possible effort is made to ensure that every voter understands and is given a reasonable opportunity and chance to obtain one, probably with free voter ID cards. If you have a large number of voters showing up unaware of the change, then yes, something has gone very wrong.
