Voter I.D. = Disenfranchising?

[dreadfulpenny81]

Wisconsin recently passed legislation requiring voters to present I.D. when voting. Starting in 2012, Wisconsin voters will be required to produce a state-issued photo I.D. or other acceptable form of photo I.D. when voting. This is nothing that's unheard of and it's already being done in several states. Here's a map from 2008 discussing I.D.

Comments

[dreadfulpenny81]

And? If the government shuts down 10 DMV centers, that leaves 78 centers in 72 counties. That leaves 6 counties with more than one center, and I have no doubt that each center isn't smack-dab in the middle of each county.

Also, you don't need to show up in-person to collect government benefits, so what makes you think people just can't send in scanned copies of proof of citizenship? Pretty much the only thing they'd have to show up for is to get their photo taken. If people want an I.D. badly enough to vote, they'll get one, just like they'll get one to drive a car or purchase alcohol/tobacco.

[mrsilence]

Yeah but elections are what, once every 4 years?

How hard is it to visit a DMV once in 4 years?

[kylinrouge]

Just like poll taxes, this is just a way to get poor people from voting. There's no reason that you have to present a photo I.D. to vote. Everywhere else a voter registration card is required, and that should be enough. You can't get one of those without proving you're a citizen first.

It's one of those things that sounds okay on the surface, but when you get into the history of these kinds of things and the implications of it, it gets a lot more nefarious. To get a photo ID costs money, you need time out of your work week to go get one, which is very difficult to obtain if you're poor and working long hours, especially in this economic environment.

[sizequeen]

THIS. This will also affect the elderly and college students. These people tend not to have legal ID because they do not need one. Also, poor people tend to be out of the loop, without transportation, without internet access, and without extra funds, so anything out of the ordinary is a big hassle

[udoswald]

And if they want to vote, they can get one.I know some states provide these forms of ID free to try to stop the controversy, though cost is hardly the only hurdle that this new requirement presents to perfectly legal voting. However, not every state does provide it free. I know NJ charges an amount that, while probably not that much for most people, is prohibitively expensive for someone living off welfare or who has a lot of kids and a small amount of income

[anfalicious]

Small government Republicans must be outraged.

[dv8nation]

Not the ones actually in the government.

[yes_justice]

particularly the ones without id's. If you got yours, no problems.

[policraticus]

There are only a few people in this community more libertarian than i am, and I don't see what the big deal is. Honestly. If you are dirt poor and motivated enough to register to vote, which requires getting to the Post Office, filling out forms and proving identity, then I don't see how asking for a photo ID is prima facia disenfranchisement. When I go vote I just state my name, they find me in the book, I sign a ticket with my illegible scrawl and into the booth I go. I know a half dozen people in my neighborhood who I could impersonate and vote in their place, disenfranchising them 9/10. Requiring someone to minimally identify themselves just seems like common sense to me.

[dv8nation]

I have to agree. That you need some sort of ID for anything with the government isn't news and I don't think we should assume that people are clueless just because they're poor.

[policraticus]

Yeah, the comment about how poor people just won't have the capacity to understand that they need an ID is just tremendously offensive. And ironic.

[kylinrouge]

Why do libertarians support this particular law and the regulations around it? Because it's 'not a big deal'? Okay, then I can just say all the other regulations aren't a big deal. Now they're justified.

Again, your state isn't affected by this, but it could be in the future.

[msretro]

It's getting harder to get ID in Florida, as a result of our illegal immigrant paranoia. You can only get it replaced online once, and, you now need quite a lot of proof of who you are to get it in person.

[dv8nation]

Given the raise in ID theft a hell of a lot of proof for government ID doesn't seem unreasonable.