Anonymous
Guest Columnist
With the presidential election looming and more interest than ever in America’s politics as candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton attempt to fight, argue and manipulate their way to the Oval Office, voter ID laws have come into play as yet another issue on the minds of the American people.
Americans are fighting for justice for individuals from all walks of life, regardless of their race, age, nationality or gender. And, for good reason, voter ID laws have been called into question as yet another way for a conservative political agenda to throw innocent bystanders under the corporate bus that allows for a perpetuate cycle of discrimination to take place for the good of few.
Before I continue, I guess we should analyze what most states require voters to present at the polls. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 34 U.S. states require individuals to present some form of ID prior to voting. This ID requirement can be divided between strict and nonstrict requirements. The state of Kansas, requiring a photo ID for poll voting or a photo ID number on mail ballots, falls under the umbrella of strict ID voting.
According to the same text, the remaining states use other methods for voter ID. These states/jurisdictions use somewhat lax methods of identification such as signature analysis or the presentation of personal information at the polls to allow voters to fulfill their voting rights.
Another rather important piece of information to consider when discussing voter identification is the Voting Rights Act, a piece of legislation signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 as a way to support African Americans’ right to vote. At a time when African Americans were turned away from polls with false (and unjust) accusations of illiteracy or inability to properly fill out forms required to vote, the Voting Rights Act was intended to prevent racial discrimination. The Act is still cited today in many legal analyses of strict voting requirements.
Arguments such as this that support “strict” voter identification requirements reference voter fraud as the main idea for necessitating identification at the polls. If we are required to have licenses with our photos, height and weight to drive, why shouldn’t we be required to prove who we are at the polls when we are making one of the most important and impactful decisions on behalf of this nation?
Although voter fraud is not widespread and illegal immigrants or non-citizens of the U.S. most likely don’t go to our polls to place their vote in an election that isn’t necessarily theirs to call their own, we should not and cannot allow others to cast a vote in one of the most important decisions we must make for ourselves.
The reality is harsh, but true. Perhaps requiring voters to present a photo ID at the polls may restrict some from casting a vote in important elections. But in the age of technological advancement, we as a nation have every ability to register ourselves to vote. We have every ability to obtain a photo identification. There are many resources in place to assist in these things, and during a time when there are eminent threats of terrorism and political sabotage, we must do everything we can to protect ourselves in the most important decision making process our nation has provided us with.
America is a vastly important nation. It requires the utmost level of respect and the utmost level of protection. Whether or not identification presentation is necessary, it is the law in many states. Instead of boasting our opinions on social media, perhaps we should work to change laws we believe to be unjust. Until then, until we can change reality, we must do what we can to protect ourselves. And, at this time, that protection comes from photo ID requirement.
