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Why don’t we require voters to show ID? It seems the system is flawed from the very beginning, there is little oversight and too much trust in local “officials”
by dijonman2 4y ago
Why don’t we require voters to show ID? It seems the system is flawed from the very beginning, there is little oversight and too much trust in local “officials”.
- chasil 4y agoThere are citizens in the United States that do not participate in our culture to the extent that they do not have IDs. One might think of Amish communities, but many are averse to regulation. They are citizens, and they should vote if they wish. We should find some method in the technology to continue their participation.
- tohnjitor 4y agoThe Amish seem unlikely to participate in elections at all.
- kube-system 4y agoI don’t know enough about the Amish to know either way, but I do think that someone’s rights shouldn’t be predicated on their historical participation.
- water8 4y agoIf they don’t care enough to get an ID then might as well flip a coin because they don’t know what they’re talking about or voting on
- kube-system 4y agoPeople who have different cultural practices than yourself are not necessarily dumb. Nor do we take away people's rights even if they are dumb.
- dijonman2 4y agoDoes Canada have this problem? They require voters to have ID.
- pavitheran 4y agoIn Canada we can vote without ID by declaring our name/address and having a friend/family member from the same district vouch that we are eligible to vote. Source: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&do...
- water8 4y agoPerfectly reasonable
- tzs 4y ago> Why don’t we require voters to show ID? Because in the US the people in charge of issuing suitable state ID have no interest in making it cheap and easy for all eligible voters to obtain such ID. In fact, in many cases at around the same time they institute voter ID requirements they also reduce the number of places one can go to get ID, with most of the reductions coming to places that mostly serve minority populations.
- water8 4y agoThat’s false it’s free in most states
- tzs 4y agoNot quite. The fee for the ID itself might be free, but to get that ID you often to have to present an application and supporting documents in person at a place that can issue the ID. The supporting documents, such as getting a copy of your birth certificate, often cost money. It often requires significant travel to get to an office that can issue the ID. When the office is in a different city or county, there is often poor public transportation to it making it even harder on those who do not have cars. The offices that can issue ID often are only open on weekdays and only during business hours, meaning many people have to take unpaid time off from work to go. One can easily blow a whole day on this, or more if there is a long wait at the ID office, assuming that they even can get time off work for it. A "free" ID ends up costing many people somewhere in the $75-175 range due to document fees, transportation costs, and waiting time.
- kube-system 4y ago> The supporting documents, such as getting a copy of your birth certificate, often cost money. And if the person was born overseas, this can be a prohibitive cost even for a middle class person.
- dijonman2 4y agoIf you cannot provide supporting documents how can you prove your identity? If you don’t have documents you have no business voting.