3 ms·

Not really, in many cases. And no, a LOT of people can't afford to take time off in the US. Their employment systems really are that fucked up in certain cases.

by myrion 10y ago

Not really, in many cases. And no, a LOT of people can't afford to take time off in the US. Their employment systems really are that fucked up in certain cases. Plus, not all IDs are valid for voting! Hell, it's a hassle here in Switzerland to get your ID renewed. We don't need it to vote, though.

angry-hacker 10y ago
Sorry, but that's a stupid excuse. Getting an ID takes time everywhere. For how long are they valid? If you use that excuse, Americans don't have time for a lot of things. Getting an ID should be a priority. It's common sense. I don't understand Americans. One side thinks Earth is 6000 years old and other think that having ID to vote is racist. What is this bullshit?
- myrion 10y ago
  It doesn't take the same amount of time everywhere though. It took me almost an hour last time I did it because the trip was 10 minutes each way plus waiting plus the actual procedure. That's in Switzerland, and if it were this efficient in the US, it would be a bad excuse. However, with all the bullshit requirements (often introduced specifically to make it harder for people to get ID), overworked agencies and much greater distances involved in the US, the same process easily takes multiple hours - in a good case! Taking a day off is seriously not possible for many people in the US. And voter ID in principle isn't racist. In practice, though, it is: "With race data in hand, the legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African Americans." and "The bill retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess." are direct quotes from a federal court striking down voter ID laws in North Carolina. That's intentional and that's why voter ID is treated as a racist idea.
  - ssully 10y ago
    To get your first ID in my state, you need to provide proof of signature, birthdate, social security number and residency. The closest government office to me is a 15 min drive, 30 min bus ride, or a hour and a half walk. The wait varies but I would say an hour minimum from my experience. The fee is between 10 and 20 dollars depending on your age. All of these offices are only open during regular business hours(8 to 5:30 Monday through Friday. Closed on weekends). Getting my first ID was a four hour and a half hour affair. I was lucky enough that my dad was able to take off work and also drive me. A quarter of my time was spent at the bank getting my Social security card out of my safety deposit box(we tried to use a photo copy but they only accept the actual card). Renewing a license is easier because you just need the expired license, but my last renewal took 2 hours. The process sucks and I imagine it sucks even more if you don't have a car or have a job that is m-f 9-5(or can't easily take a day off)
    - angry-hacker 10y ago
      For how long is the ID valid? I mean if you do it only for voting, how often do you need to renew it? The whole process sounds regular bureaucracy like in every other country. You need ID everywhere (at least in developed countries) to vote. Having ID is common sense. It all sounds political pseudo-problem.
camiller 10y ago
In my state I can renew my drivers license online, no hassle required.

by myrion 10y ago

angry-hacker 10y ago

Sorry, but that's a stupid excuse. Getting an ID takes time everywhere. For how long are they valid? If you use that excuse, Americans don't have time for a lot of things. Getting an ID should be a priority. It's common sense. I don't understand Americans. One side thinks Earth is 6000 years old and other think that having ID to vote is racist. What is this bullshit?

myrion 10y ago
It doesn't take the same amount of time everywhere though. It took me almost an hour last time I did it because the trip was 10 minutes each way plus waiting plus the actual procedure. That's in Switzerland, and if it were this efficient in the US, it would be a bad excuse. However, with all the bullshit requirements (often introduced specifically to make it harder for people to get ID), overworked agencies and much greater distances involved in the US, the same process easily takes multiple hours - in a good case! Taking a day off is seriously not possible for many people in the US. And voter ID in principle isn't racist. In practice, though, it is: "With race data in hand, the legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African Americans." and "The bill retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess." are direct quotes from a federal court striking down voter ID laws in North Carolina. That's intentional and that's why voter ID is treated as a racist idea.
- ssully 10y ago
  To get your first ID in my state, you need to provide proof of signature, birthdate, social security number and residency. The closest government office to me is a 15 min drive, 30 min bus ride, or a hour and a half walk. The wait varies but I would say an hour minimum from my experience. The fee is between 10 and 20 dollars depending on your age. All of these offices are only open during regular business hours(8 to 5:30 Monday through Friday. Closed on weekends). Getting my first ID was a four hour and a half hour affair. I was lucky enough that my dad was able to take off work and also drive me. A quarter of my time was spent at the bank getting my Social security card out of my safety deposit box(we tried to use a photo copy but they only accept the actual card). Renewing a license is easier because you just need the expired license, but my last renewal took 2 hours. The process sucks and I imagine it sucks even more if you don't have a car or have a job that is m-f 9-5(or can't easily take a day off)
  - angry-hacker 10y ago
    For how long is the ID valid? I mean if you do it only for voting, how often do you need to renew it? The whole process sounds regular bureaucracy like in every other country. You need ID everywhere (at least in developed countries) to vote. Having ID is common sense. It all sounds political pseudo-problem.

camiller 10y ago

In my state I can renew my drivers license online, no hassle required.