Restriction alienate poor, elderly, minorities
Here in the state of South Carolina, we have unfortunately shown we are typically not on the forefront when it comes to meaningful discussions on issues like race and class. As the current presidential election is fast approaching, we will need to confront these, and other issues, head-on, particularly in response to voter identification laws.
Voter identification laws are exactly what they sound like; they are a legal requirement undertaken by state government to insure the identification of its citizens who vote, usually in the form of a government-issued photo ID. While this seems innocuous, and even a no-brainer at first, we need to take a good hard look at impact these laws can have on voting turnout. Unfortunately, laws such as these have been proved to have disproportionate effects on certain segments of the American population: the poor, the elderly and minorities.
The three population groups above share a unique factor in common — they are the ones that will most likely be impacted by new voting laws in states like South Carolina. Due to our often combative history involving the disenfranchisement of minorities’ voting rights, any laws that deal with voting need to be approved by a higher body. Opponents of the new law argue it will make voting more of a burden, reducing the turnout of various groups. Not only do these groups lack the proper identification required but the means and ability to do so, they say.
Now I know this may seem hard to imagine, but there are many people out there who go through life without some sort of common government identification. There are those few holdouts who never seem to get a driver’s license. Add that to the fact that only one-third of Americans have passports, and it shows it’s shockingly easy for one to go without a common form of “official” ID throughout much of their lives.
The act of just going out to just get a government ID isn’t so simple either. Think back to the incredibly long lines at the DMV or the ridiculous amount of paperwork and prior research it required. There are very few quick and easy ways for one to secure an official government ID these days, which is something we as a nation need to recognize.
Voter ID laws, while perhaps an issue we need to address down the road, are unnecessary and a misuse of our time right now. While concerns about voter security should always be given the proper attention, the actual amount of voter fraud has been shown to be either extremely limited to nonexistent. In implementing voter ID laws, we need to make sure doing so reflects an actual need.