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Originally Posted by dc_dux
Cyn....only 7 states require PHOTO idea....three are fairly recent - GA, IN, MI - coincidentally swing states, where recent laws were enacted by Republican legislatures. There is ample testimony I could probably find that would point out that such laws are likely to impact minorities and elderly disproportionately because of more limited (not limited entirely) access to state-issued PHOTO ids.
Fewer than 20 other states require something other (less) than PHOTO ID.
From NCSL: Requirements for Voter Identification
In most states, and under federal law, a social security number should be enough to register to vote and there are provisions for those who dont even have that.
States are also required to maintain voter registration databases to ensure that persons dont register in more than one precinct.
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IMO, the requirement for voting should be when you REGISTER to vote (and a SS# or something comparable should be enough) ...and if the state is doing its job, you will appear in a database...so you should NOT be required to show an ID when you physically go to the polls to cast your vote.
Anyone w/o a permanent address (as a result of losing their home through foreclosure..or any reason) should be able to use their last address, if that is the address they used to register. |
In Oregon you have to show ID when you fill out your voter registration as we do vote-by-mail. It's not limited to a state-issue ID:
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New laws require that people must provide identifying information to register to vote. If you have a current, valid Oregon DMV Driver's License/ID, you must provide that number. A suspended Driver's License is still valid, a revoked Driver's License is NOT valid. If you do not have a current, valid Oregon DMV Driver's License/ID, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you do not have a current, valid Oregon DMV Driver's License/ID or a Social Security number, you must affirm this on the voter registration card, and if you are registering by mail, you must provide a copy of one of the following:
* valid photo identification
* a paycheck stub
* a utility bill
* a bank statement
* a government document
* proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEH)
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The other upside to vote-by-mail is that there are two records of your vote--the paper Scantron sheet you bubble in with your vote, and the computer record of your vote after it's scanned. There are no polls to keep someone away, or for people to try to keep other people from voting. When you change your address through the DMV or renew your license or state-issued ID, you have the option to also update your voter registration. It makes it really easy to keep it up-to-date and to keep the records in order. However, because of the vote-by-mail, people have to register to vote in Oregon well ahead of the election--no last-minute registrations here. And for possible selling of votes or other people filling out ballots--it is a crime to allow someone else to fill out your ballot, and you sign a contract (when you sign the ballot envelope) attesting to the fact that it is in fact your vote. The signature on the envelope is then electronically compared to the signature they have on file.
I have never voted at a polling place, as we've been vote-by-mail for 10 years now. Personally, I think a lot of the voter suppression issues brought up by this election and the other issues we've seen in recent election history could be avoided if the rest of the country went vote-by-mail.