Since 2001, nearly 1000 voter ID laws have been proposed, with several being adopted in over 30 states. The very foundation of a democracy is the right to vote; yet in America today attempts are still being made to silence the voices of citizens that, under the Constitution, should have no obstacle when casting their ballot. Requiring photo ID only eliminates people from the polls, and does not prevent voter fraud that has been too insignificant to change the outcome of any election. In no way are these restrictions benefiting the nation; they only impede the act of voting, not the act of committing fraud. In addition, the costs affiliated with implementing these pieces of legislation can put fiscal stress on the states that choose to finalize these plans.
In 2011, one of these laws was passed in Texas. As a result, 93-year old Viviette Applewhite was not able to cast her vote in the general elections of 2012, as she had no driver’s license and was adopted as a young child. This woman, who had voted in every election since 1960, is one out of many who have been negatively impacted by the latest forms of strict voter ID laws that have been passed in more than 10 states. Besides causing disenfranchisement, voter id laws create barriers between citizens and the polls. An estimated 21 million people (11% of the population) do not have a driver’s license, and therefore would have no photo ID to “deserve” their right to vote, a right that no American citizen should have to earn. Most affected are the elderly, low income, and minority groups that tend to lean to the Democratic side. It is also detrimental to those living in rural regions far from areas to acquire the necessary documents in obtaining an ID. These people are eligible vot...
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...aining Voter Identification." Brennancenter.org. Brennan Center for Justice: NYU School of Law, 18 July 2012. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.
Khan, Natasha, and Corbin Carson. "Comprehensive Database of U.S. Voter Fraud Uncovers No Evidence That Photo ID Is Needed." Votingrights.news21.com. News21, 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 31 Dec. 2013.
Lee, Suevon. "Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws." Propublica.org. Pro Publica Inc., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 31 Dec. 2013.
Parker, Laura. "Voter Identification: A Brief Introduction." Library.ca.org. California Research Bureau, Oct. 2012. Web.
"Voter Identification Requirements." Ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Dec. 2013.
Weiser, Wendy R., Adam Skaggs, and Vishal Agraharkar. "The Cost of Voter ID Laws: What the Courts Say." Brennancenter.org. NYU School of Law, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2013.
The voter ID issue starts with certain laws that, in the US, require that a person show a form of official ID before they are allowed to register to vote. This issue has split both Republicans and Democrats. According to Kenneth Jost, “republicans say [voter-ID laws] are needed to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of elections. Democrats say the laws are not needed and are being pushed in order to reduce voting among groups that skew Democratic in elections especially Latinos and African Americans” (Jost, p. 171). Both of these perspectives are valid, and with an open mind, can both sides have important points about the validity and inclusion of elections. On one hand, it is crucial to prevent fraud and keep the elections free of error, otherwise the outcome could be an unfair ruling. On the other side of the argument, voter-ID laws can cause discrimination and prevent people from voting, also
Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress to formulate an oversight measure to fix voter disenfranchisement. By itself, Supreme Court Ruling Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder does minimal damage to the voting process of the United States. The court ruled discriminatory practices of district actions half a century old unconstitutional, but left a responsibility for Congress to modernize the Voting Rights Act, to ensure that no district nor individual is discriminated against. Given the history of the United States’s voter suppression and the original need for the Voting Rights Act, a new, modern voter equality policy is of dire importance.
Hasen, Richard. "Voter Suppression's New Pretext." the New York Times 16 November 2013: A- 19. Print.
Kuttner, Robert. "Illegal Immigration: Would a National ID Card Help?" Business Week August 26, 1991.
The new law has seen multiple, willing and able, voters turned away at the polling station for unacceptable or expired photo IDs. It also turns away people low on income, mainly because of the cost of photo IDs or the cost to replace vital documents, like birth certificates. With the implication of the new voter ID law, it is certain that it will have an implication on voter turnouts at the polls, mainly seen by minority and elderly voters. Those, like justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, prove that the new voter ID law has very lasting and unfair effects on voters who are deemed “unfavorable.” Even a U.S. district judge in Corpus Christi ruled that the law “constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax” and “has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose.” African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to lack appropriate photo IDs, disenfranchising approximately 600,000 voters. Even if the state offers a free photo ID, these types voters, some of who are in the low-income tax bracket, may not be able to get their hands on necessary documents, such as a birth certificate which cost around $23, to obtain one. The new ID laws can prove to be a large hurdle for multiple types of people, causing a lot of stress to people who just want to perform their civic
"Voting and Registration." United States Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau, 08 May 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
To enforce voting to be mandatory , this will prompt more Americans to pay attention to the choices for their representatives. Mandating would stimulate the demand side, motivating voters to understand and acknowledge who they are voting for. Therefore , voting is to be a responsibility than a option.
The wave of new voting restrictions passed around the country, mostly by Republicans, after their victories in the 2010 elections. Supporters of the law argue that such restrictions are necessary to prevent fraud. On the other hand, voting law opponents contend these laws disproportionately affect elderly, minority and low-income groups that tend to vote Democratic. Obtaining photo ID can be costly and burdensome because photo ID laws create a new "financial barrier to the ballot box”. It would have prevented hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters from the polls just because they lack a state-issued photo ID.
The “Election and voting: Voter Identification” is a debate between three sides with different opinions about the voter identification law. Each side is represented by Chandler Davidson, Hans von Spakovsky, and Edward Foley. This debate is about whether the voter identification laws should be in place or not. Davidson is against the voting id laws stating its historical context and how it will affect the minorities, older and student during the election time. Spakovsky supports the law saying “the law would prevent voter fraud” and make elections strong and fair. Third, position held by Foley is that voter fraud is a problem and voter id law would help prevent it, but we need to make sure that everyone will have an easy access to the designated places.
Voter ID laws in the United States have begun to create controversy since the beginning of its adaptations in the early 2000’s. Voter ID laws in the United States is a law that requires U.S. citizens to have a special form of identification in order to vote in an election. The idea with Voter ID laws is that the state must make sure that the laws do not pose any sort of burden on the voters. These laws have been proposed in order to stop voting fraud. However, the institution of Voter ID laws has caused trouble in states, including Texas, regarding the various amount of identification requirements needed.
Patel, R. (2012). Forget College, You're Popular! A Review of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Mcgeorge Law Review, 43, 645-654.
The 2016 election will be hit with numerous voting restrictive laws making it harder to vote for the general populous. There are 31 states that enforce government identification cards prior to voting. Around 11% percent of people able to vote don 't have a government identification card according to Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge. That 's around 35 million people unable to vote due to the enforcement of government identification cards. These people include and are not exclusive to the elderly not driving any more, people without permanent addresses, and transgender who have non matching gender to their identification cards. Of those 31 states that enforce government identification cards prior to voting, 8 states require strict photo identification. It is estimated that at least 16 million people able to vote do not have eligible government photo identification cards, according to the brennancenter. Texas alone has 600,000 people that do not fit this category. The general populous has taken a hit due to votin...
"There is a reason for the country to embrace mandatory voting, and it may be the most compelling: democracy cannot be strong if citizenship is weak," _William A. Galtson_. Mandatory voting, or compulsory voting, is a law wherein citizens are required to vote, or suffer the consequence. Australia has had compulsory voting since putting it into effect in 1924. "The turnout of Australian elections has never fallen below 90 percent since the introduction of compulsory voting in 1924," _Australian Electoral Commission_. Achieving over 90 percent of the citizens voting for nearly a century shows that mandatory voting is working in regard to getting people to vote. Governments should have mandatory voting because the people will educate themselves
Voter ID laws eliminate all forms of voter fraud and restore integrity to elections, Government-issued photo IDs are inexpensive and easy to obtain, and voter ID laws don’t restrict the right to vote and restore confidence to voters. To begin with, what is voter fraud? Voter fraud is the illegal obstruction of an election. Voter fraud is composed of double voting, intimidation, undocumented citizens voting, tampering with electronic or paper ballots, as well as deceased voting. Some opponents, such as Attorney General Eric Holder, suggest that there is not a problem with voter fraud.
IDs as a valid form of identification, nor can out of state students vote without a valid