“Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process.” -- Hillary Clinton
Come this Tuesday many voters that were eligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election will no longer have this right in an attempt to “crack down on voter fraud.” As of recent there has been an influx of states instituting voter ID laws, particularly by Republican led legislatures that claim to be protecting elections against voter fraud.
In 2007, an investigation led by the Bush Justice Department found voter fraud to be exceedingly rare, in some states there were zero instances of fraud taking place. It cannot be a coincidence that these laws target groups that predominantly voted Democrat in the last election.
These new laws will require voters to show a state issued ID or drivers license, which is not a problem for many of us today. Yet, for many the time and money it takes to secure the documents needed to receive an ID is impossible. A Federal Court recently struck down a Texas voter ID law determining it discriminated against poor and minorities. The court found that these many of these groups were without access to cars, making a trip to obtain an ID card burdensome, which infringed on their right to vote.
Once you consider how rare voter fraud actually happens, it becomes apparent that Republicans are attempting to exclude many groups from voting. This hampers the rights of minorities, elderly, students and the poor. Groups that stand to gain or lose a lot in this next election. Voting is a right as a citizen in this country, to take that right away because someone does not have a state issued ID does not seem just at all. How are citizens supposed to get to a DMV when they do not drive and work 9 to 5 jobs? Making the voting process such a burden does not seem to be the right way to engage the people in politics.
Not only would these laws prevent many from voting, it could generate lower voter turnout and increase wait times at polling places. Proving you are who you claim to be should not require a state issued ID, it seems that there are many other options we could adopt that would not discriminate against voters.
Voting is free. It is a right granted to the people. Identification cards are not free. In California an ID card cost 26 dollars. In Kansas, where photo ID is required to vote in this election, cards costs 22 dollars. It seems illogical to make a law requiring one to buy something to use a right granted to them by the government. What’s next, I’ll have to spend money to exercise my right to free speech? Maybe this seems like a huge leap, but as we begin to give away our rights the government does not hesitate to dissuade us, they continue to take them away.
Of the many issues these laws bring into play, maintaing the status quo is one of the most important. By implementing these laws Republicans are increasing their odds of winning elections. Lets face it, the people most affected by these laws are minorities, elderly, youth, and the poor. Of voters between the ages of 18 and 24, 68% voted for Obama in 2008. 96% of African Americans, 67% of Latinos, and 63% of Asian voters voted democrat. Those numbers can make a huge difference in ANY election.
Republicans are finally using their brains, creating laws that affect the groups that do not want to see them succeed. Not only do I have a problem with these laws, I am troubled that more people are not aware of the negative affect that will take place after the laws are widely implemented. Republicans argue they are fighting against fraud and non-citizens in the voting booth, but what about all the non-fraudulent citizens that are being denied a vote? We are losing the opinions of large groups of citizens, no matter their party stance, and this is not how a democracy runs, at least not a successful democracy.
There has to be a middle ground we can reach to prevent fraud but also lessen the burden photo identification can place on people. The Brennan Center for Justice has compiled a list of possible alternatives, some of the suggestions include voter registration databases, requiring each voter to verify the last four digits of their social security number or ID number, or increasing punishment for committing fraud. The current option discriminates against too many voters, making the need for an alternative quite important.
I found this article very informative. I think we often take for granted our right to vote and stop to examine what the alternatives were in the past. Even when Women and blacks gained the right to vote, there were literary tests and other barriers instituted to try to make it more difficult for them to vote.
ReplyDeleteToday, people make the argument that there should once again be a test to vote or some type of restriction so that only the informed vote and your vote can truly make a difference. Yet, how would this make for a democratic society? Just as I wrote in my article about freedom of speech, each right we have as an American is a double-edged sword. While uneducated people will continue to vote, this protects the freedom we are afforced for equal rights for all.
I agree with your point of view, especially on "Voting is free. It is a right granted to the people. Identification cards are not free." It is not fair for people to pay for one of the most fundamental rights they have. For a lot of people, having a ID does not seem like a difficult thing, but for many other people, it may be extremely difficult as you mentioned in the post. I think the Republicans, who pushed this bill either made it on purpose to stop a certain group of people from voting or they just simply don't understand the situation at all.
ReplyDeleteHowever, even the voting fraud is rare, it is still a issue since the very beginning of election history. It is even more serious as the voting process is getting more electronic. A centralized database for identification or verification of SSN just does not seem too safe to me. I think there has to be a trade off.
I wrote about this topic a few months ago during the time that my dad traveled to Philadelphia to help get people registered to vote. While writing the post, I read a lot of really interesting information about just how rare voter fraud is. I don't remember the exact numbers but it was something along the lines of 8 instances of in-person voter fraud had been reported over the last 20 years or so of national elections. The math ended up resulting in the likelihood of fraud amounting to a millionth of a percentage. The laws that were put in place regarding voter ID were framed as preventative measures to ensure safer elections. But, in my mind, the legislation was ridiculously expensive and resulted in needless time spent to prevent something that rarely occurs. Sounds a little fishy when those backing the laws are all aligned on one side of the political aisle.
ReplyDeleteIt really pained me, before the elections, to read about all the legislature that was trying to pass to discriminate against low-income people. I think there was voter ID in Pennsylvania and then a non-voting after hours one in Ohio.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone has the equal right to vote. We have come so far - with women, with people of color. We established this so that EVERYONE could be equal, even the ones who do not have ID (because they don't have a passport since they don't travel, or don't have a driver's licence because they don't own a car etc), even the ones who have to work night-shifts or early-morning shifts or whichever shifts. We built this fundamental right to vote based off of our desire that everyone has a right to their opinion, and we should respect that instead of trying to mix politics in with this.