4 ms·

Voter ID and related laws are reasonable, but every proposal is so obviously an attempt at voter suppression, it’s a joke. Look at how “real ID” has played out

by ks2048 2y ago

Voter ID and related laws are reasonable, but every proposal is so obviously an attempt at voter suppression, it’s a joke. Look at how “real ID” has played out - you need to plan a decade or more in advance and actively help people get the IDs.

dmm 2y ago
For what it's worth, when Missouri passed its voter id law they included funding to provide people free id, if needed for voting. I was working the MO secretary of state office at this time, and though I wasn't directly involved with it, I did see them help a lot of people get ids. Most of the time it was just helping people fill out forms or paying a fee for them but there were a few complicated situations. One woman had fled a domestic violence situation in another state with just the clothes on her back. She had no identifying documents of any kind. The SoS ending up coordinating with two other states to get documents and hiring a lawyer to get a judge to reestablish her identity in court. So in the case of Missouri at least, real resources were committed to get ids for anyone who asked for it. > you need to plan a decade or more in advance and actively help people get the IDs. That's probably true too.
sebazzz 2y ago
Voter registration is by itself a joke and voter suppression. In most of Europe every citizen gets a voting form send to their registered address together with the list of participants. They bring that with the government ID to the polling station with their government ID card, passport or driver license. Then they are allowed to vote, in confidence, and drop their voting form in the box - and that is the end of it. No voter registration, definitely no registration which party you vote, and essentially everyone is included. But maybe that is thanks to Europes relatively organized governments.
- trilbyglens 2y ago
  Europeans definitely trust their governments a lot more than Americans have ever and probably will ever trust theirs.

by ks2048 2y ago

dmm 2y ago

For what it's worth, when Missouri passed its voter id law they included funding to provide people free id, if needed for voting. I was working the MO secretary of state office at this time, and though I wasn't directly involved with it, I did see them help a lot of people get ids. Most of the time it was just helping people fill out forms or paying a fee for them but there were a few complicated situations. One woman had fled a domestic violence situation in another state with just the clothes on her back. She had no identifying documents of any kind. The SoS ending up coordinating with two other states to get documents and hiring a lawyer to get a judge to reestablish her identity in court. So in the case of Missouri at least, real resources were committed to get ids for anyone who asked for it. > you need to plan a decade or more in advance and actively help people get the IDs. That's probably true too.

sebazzz 2y ago

Voter registration is by itself a joke and voter suppression. In most of Europe every citizen gets a voting form send to their registered address together with the list of participants. They bring that with the government ID to the polling station with their government ID card, passport or driver license. Then they are allowed to vote, in confidence, and drop their voting form in the box - and that is the end of it. No voter registration, definitely no registration which party you vote, and essentially everyone is included. But maybe that is thanks to Europes relatively organized governments.

trilbyglens 2y ago
Europeans definitely trust their governments a lot more than Americans have ever and probably will ever trust theirs.