By: Lindsey V.
Right now, 30 states have present laws for voters to show
their ID at polls this November, but there are 34 states that have passed their
voter ID laws. Certain states, such as
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi, don’t require a voter ID, but the
laws were enacted there.
Some people may know about the voter ID law, but some may
not. The article called, “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Voter
ID Laws” will explain everything you will need to know.
This law helps verify that the person voting is who they say
they are. This law has mostly been passed in the last couple of years and makes
the voter show ID before they vote. This can get confusing though, because from
state to state this law varies. In the map showed, it shows the different
states and whether they are a strict photo, photo, non-photo, or no voter ID
law. These different categories also may
be confusing. Here it is broken down:
Strict vs non strict: in the strict states, a voter cannot
vote before a ID is showed. If they are
not able to show ID while voting they are given a provisional ballot. The
provisional are kept separately from the other ballots, and if the individual
can show a valid ID a couple days after, there vote can be counted. People in
“non-strict” states may sign an affidavit of identity in order to vote if they
do not present an ID during this process.
These voter ID laws are strongly opposed by some. Some may ask why. They are strongly opposed
because it may affect elderly, minority, and low income groups that tend to
vote democratic. A photo ID can be costly and a hassle to some. A study shows
that 11 percent of eligible voters lack necessary photo ID and some may live in
places where they may have troubles accessing an ID office.
On the flip side of this latest argument of why some oppose
voter ID laws, studies show that people lacking these IDs are less likely to
vote anyways. Also they found that those
lacking were generally young people, those without college education, Hispanics
and poor.
What made this law come into action? Well, in 2007 there
were 82 convictions noted in the New York Times analysis. There are not that
many cases, but since it happens, it will keep happening. By enacting this law,
it will help there be less problems while in the close votes. It will help the
election remain fair.
Here is information specific to Wisconsin:
In Wisconsin the voter ID law was held unconstitutional by
the state judge and is not in effect. Each elector is required to show
identification. The different forms of identification include: Wisconsin drivers
license, ID card issued by US uniformed service, Wisconsin non-driver ID,
Passport, Certification of Naturalization, Student ID card with signature. If they do not present a ID at the time of
voting they will be given a provisional ballot.
They will have to bring this ballot to the election inspector before 4pm
on the Friday following the election date.
Below is a video where the voter ID law is named
unconstitutional in Wisconsin.
Now, when election day comes up, you will know what problems
some people around the country are having with the voters ID law, and you will
know what to present if you are a Wisconsin resident. Do you think this law is
a good idea?
Personally, I believe that having a voting ID could be really confusing and should not very from state to state. If one state has the ID then all the states should be required to have the ID as well. It is only fair. But if there was no voter ID, then some sort of ID should be required, like in Wisconsin. It is smart to have at least some sort of ID required in order to vote because other wise, how do we know if the person is a Wisconsin resident, or if they are the person they say they are. We have to show a valid ID when when take the ACT every time, so it is only fair that when you go to the polls and vote, you do the same. It is all precaution to make sure you are who you say you are.
ReplyDeleteNicole - Should everyone be required to have a federal ID?
DeleteI believe there should be a voter I.D laws because it eliminates voter fraud. There are many people who cheat the system voting 2 or more times giving an unfair advantage to a candidate. Voter ID’s will also give those who wouldn’t have a form of identification some way to identify themselves for certain situations. In my opinion there is no negative side to requiring voter ID’s being required in every state. Requiring a voter I.D should be a federal law.
ReplyDeleteAs a country, do we have a lot of issues with voter fraud?
DeleteWe used to have many problems with voter fraud, and I agree with Zach in that we should require a voter ID. At one time, Florida was reported to have 53,000 dead voters. This is on top of all the other voters named Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney. 53,000 is a lot of votes and could potentially change the outcome of an election, so a voter ID should be used all around the US so that this does not happen any further.
DeleteZach, I agree with you 100% on this one. Voters should be forced to show ID when going to vote, we are forced to show ID when we try and see a rated R movie, people are asked for there ID when buying tobacco and alcohol. So why is it okay to vote without showing ID, when voting is inarguable more important than all of the other reasons we are forced to show ID.
ReplyDeleteLike you said showing ID would virtually eliminate voter fraud, and it would make it so people can only vote once. It Also would overall make us more of an honest country.
I too agree that it should be made a federal law.
You must have an I.D. when it comes to these types of situations because there will always be people who will try to scam the system into what they want. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you add up all the frauds that take place without the use of an I.D. could drastically alter a candidates chance of winning/losing. Realistically, there's no reason why people shouldn't have their I.D.s on them anyway which would also help with other issues which is why I believe it should be a federal law.
ReplyDeleteI think that every state should require a photo ID if you are voting. This should be a law for every state because someone could lie and say that they are someone else, ruining the outcome of the election. This is true that if you are lacking from getting a photo ID, then you probably shouldn’t be voting in this year’s election anyway, until you get one. It’s surprising to see that the younger people are the ones lacking a photo ID because normally the younger generation likes to control everything, including the outcome of the election. I don’t see why it would be so hard to even show a driver’s license because anyone who drives is required to have one according to the law. In the end, it should be very easy to have a photo ID of yourself. Every state should make the law of enforcing every voter to show ID because voting is a big deal and ID should be required.
ReplyDeleteMarisa -
DeleteDo you think there are some people that can't get ID that would need to? What should we do for those people?
I agree with everyone that has stated that it should be federal law to require an I.D. to cast a vote, especially when it comes to presidential elections where both candidates are closely battling each other just to lead by a small percentage. And Nicole's comment about the ACT only helped my opinion. It's almost unheard of to attend college without having an ACT score to send in, and without a valid I.D., one is not allowed to take the test. So, no ACT score means no college, which means to education to further one's education to provide a better life. But the kids who want college bad enough, to feel it is their duty, find a way to get an I.D. and take the test. I believe that the people who feel the desire to follow through with their duty to their country strong enough will also find a way to find an I.D. and cast their vote. With all of the government programs we already have in place, I don't really see anyone objecting setting up some sort of system to make I.D.'s for free for the people who cannot afford the I.D.'s already accepted.
DeleteI believe that every state should require a photo ID if you're voting because it does eliminate the possibly of voter fraud. The only people that it would really "discriminate" against would be those of specific races such as Latinos in specific states such as California and Texas since they border the country of Mexico. In the end it really shouldn't matter, they claim that they want the votes of different races such as Hispanics but what's the point if they're not citizens.
ReplyDeleteDo we have a lot of voter fraud in our country? Is it a big problem?
DeleteI think that people should be required to have a photo ID with them, because it will help stop fraud, and people voting more than once. However, you should be able to get an ID for free,and it should be easy and convenient. It shouldn't stop people from voting, because most likely the people that would have voted aren't going to not vote anymore just because they need to get a free ID. I think that it should be as simple as possible to vote, but there are ways of requiring a voter ID and still accomplishing that same goal.
ReplyDeleteAllie - How can we make IDs available to everyone?
DeleteI believe that a voter's ID is very important because it ensures that each person only votes once. Without a voter's ID would be chaos and very inaccurate. Someone would be able to vote multiple times because they would have the opportunity to impersonate another person and vote in their place. Therefore, a person could vote multiple times for their favoring candidate in order to help get the majority of the votes. Ultimately, a voter's ID is necessary in order to make sure that the the polls and candidacy is fair and equal.
ReplyDelete