Voter Id Laws Essay Example
Voter ID Laws: Common Sense
The ability to vote is one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in the United States of America. Unfortunately, the validity and reliability of our democratic system is constantly under attack by the real issue of voter fraud. While a solution for this problem hasn’t been decided upon, Republicans strongly advocate the usage of voter ID (which could be anything from a drivers license to a passport) to ensure that whomever is going to the polls is exactly who they say they are, and happens to still be alive. This common sense solution has come under attack by numerous Democrats, stating that this is merely a direct attack on minorities and the elderly who “can’t obtain a sufficient form of identification”. They also claim that voter fraud isn’t nearly as big of a dilemma as we make it out to be, but these claims are nothing but absolute nonsense.
The argument that minorities and the elderly cannot possibly obtain any form of identification is beyond absurd. The list of things that you can purchase/do in the United States that require some form of ID is endless. Riding an airplane, purchasing alcohol and cigarettes, taking the SATs/ACTs, “R” rated movie tickets, obtaining a library card, any sort of loans/financing...Wait a second, what those who oppose voter ID laws are telling us is that minorities and the elderly cannot ride an airplane or purchase alcohol? And those who want fair elections are racist? Hmm.
A study done by the Center for Democracy & Election Management at American University concluded in a survey of 2,000 registered voters in Maryland, Mississippi, and Indiana that less than 2% of each population lacked identification in the form of drivers licenses, passports, or military ID (0.3% in Indiana, 1.9% in Maryland, and just over 1% in Mississippi). Upon further study, American University also found that the amount of Americans who lacked both identification and proof of citizenship did not reach .05%. With
The ability to vote is one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in the United States of America. Unfortunately, the validity and reliability of our democratic system is constantly under attack by the real issue of voter fraud. While a solution for this problem hasn’t been decided upon, Republicans strongly advocate the usage of voter ID (which could be anything from a drivers license to a passport) to ensure that whomever is going to the polls is exactly who they say they are, and happens to still be alive. This common sense solution has come under attack by numerous Democrats, stating that this is merely a direct attack on minorities and the elderly who “can’t obtain a sufficient form of identification”. They also claim that voter fraud isn’t nearly as big of a dilemma as we make it out to be, but these claims are nothing but absolute nonsense.
The argument that minorities and the elderly cannot possibly obtain any form of identification is beyond absurd. The list of things that you can purchase/do in the United States that require some form of ID is endless. Riding an airplane, purchasing alcohol and cigarettes, taking the SATs/ACTs, “R” rated movie tickets, obtaining a library card, any sort of loans/financing...Wait a second, what those who oppose voter ID laws are telling us is that minorities and the elderly cannot ride an airplane or purchase alcohol? And those who want fair elections are racist? Hmm.
A study done by the Center for Democracy & Election Management at American University concluded in a survey of 2,000 registered voters in Maryland, Mississippi, and Indiana that less than 2% of each population lacked identification in the form of drivers licenses, passports, or military ID (0.3% in Indiana, 1.9% in Maryland, and just over 1% in Mississippi). Upon further study, American University also found that the amount of Americans who lacked both identification and proof of citizenship did not reach .05%. With