>As such, there's no real reason to support voter-ID laws, aside from deliberately trying to disenfranchise low-income voters. This is a common point, but I thi

>As such, there's no real reason to support voter-ID laws, aside from deliberately trying to disenfranchise low-income voters. This is a common point, but I think it assumes too much about low-income voters. You need an ID to access essentially all of the government services that low-income folks would need. That's not generally the case, as I understand it. Imagine a low-income senior, with a paid off home (or an inexpensive apartment or public housing unit) and a family that help take care of them. What do they need ID for? They don't drive. They may need medical care, but that only requires a medicare card, which is not valid ID (no picture, and just printed on plain paper). Social Security comes as a direct deposit to their bank account, which they opened years ago, before ID was required, or when they did have ID, since lost (or as a US Treasury check that they deposit or cash). Checks don't require ID. State SNAP/EBT/Food Stamp cards don't have a picture, and aren't valid ID.