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> So how is what you are proposing not a poll tax? It's not a poll tax because in the post 9/11 age / post pandemic age, you need an ID to do most anything. I

> So how is what you are proposing not a poll tax? It's not a poll tax because in the post 9/11 age / post pandemic age, you need an ID to do most anything. In NYS, the driver's license fee can be as low as $6.50.

sophacles 4y ago
Where in the constitution does it say a poll tax under a certain value is OK? Where does it define a minimum value to be considered a tax? Where does it say "some things requiring ID is an exception to poll taxes?" The government requiring money to be paid in order to vote is in fact a poll tax.
- baremetal 4y ago
  so then subsidize government id's. still should have to show id to vote.
  - kevingadd 4y ago
    The kind of voter fraud that would be stopped by ID checks is a fantasy. Now you're proposing the rollout of an expensive nationwide government program to stop something that basically doesn't exist? I'll link this random source here, but there are dozens of them out there. There is no evidence to support any claim of widespread voter fraud that would merit the introduction of a poll tax or a nationwide free ID program + combined ID requirement. https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-c... Your proposal also ignores the fact that in some cases getting an ID is very complex and expensive - some people don't have birth certificates, for example, and getting one printed requires going to a specific location and paying a fee. Sometimes it's still not possible, because the records facility keeping your birth certificate burned down (there's at least one case of this I read about.) Making IDs free would be a cool measure for equality! Not sure where the funding would come from though. In some places like Washington State people keep trying to defund the DMV entirely by getting rid of car taxes, so I doubt you'd get away with funding it that way.

sophacles 4y ago

Where in the constitution does it say a poll tax under a certain value is OK? Where does it define a minimum value to be considered a tax? Where does it say "some things requiring ID is an exception to poll taxes?" The government requiring money to be paid in order to vote is in fact a poll tax.

baremetal 4y ago
so then subsidize government id's. still should have to show id to vote.
- kevingadd 4y ago
  The kind of voter fraud that would be stopped by ID checks is a fantasy. Now you're proposing the rollout of an expensive nationwide government program to stop something that basically doesn't exist? I'll link this random source here, but there are dozens of them out there. There is no evidence to support any claim of widespread voter fraud that would merit the introduction of a poll tax or a nationwide free ID program + combined ID requirement. https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-c... Your proposal also ignores the fact that in some cases getting an ID is very complex and expensive - some people don't have birth certificates, for example, and getting one printed requires going to a specific location and paying a fee. Sometimes it's still not possible, because the records facility keeping your birth certificate burned down (there's at least one case of this I read about.) Making IDs free would be a cool measure for equality! Not sure where the funding would come from though. In some places like Washington State people keep trying to defund the DMV entirely by getting rid of car taxes, so I doubt you'd get away with funding it that way.