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It's not about whether we can. It's about whether we should. This is a freedom-based problem. First, what problem is voter id supposed to solve? Well, people c
by beat 8y ago
It's not about whether we can. It's about whether we should.
This is a freedom-based problem. First, what problem is voter id supposed to solve? Well, people cheating by voting illegally. Is this an actual, demonstrable problem? No. Despite grandiose claims by FOX News and Donald Trump, there is no evidence of widespread voting fraud. So we've established that this is a solution to a problem that does not actually exist.
Second, does it impact our freedom? Voting is both our right and responsibility as citizens. Should we be required to carry and show id just to prove that we are citizens? "Do you have your papers, citizen?" used to be a joke we made about the shortcomings of totalitarian communist dictatorships. So yes, it does impact our freedom, as we should be free to go about our day without carrying government id at all times, and I believe that would include the act of voting.
Limiting our freedom to solve fake problems sounds un-American to me.
- patejam 8y agoWe're already not free to walk around without papers for certain activities. Entering a bar, buying restricted substances (including some medication!), driving a car, leaving and entering the country, etc. None of that means we're in some totalitarian dictatorship. I've seen plenty of elections come down to 100s of votes. To me this seems like an attack vector we shouldn't ignore. Besides, we already have the concept of provisional ballots if people end up not having or forgetting their ID. But again, I don't think we're ready for all this. A half-assed solution would be very bad, and I don't trust the current system to handle this in a partisan way.