Why is asking a voter for a photo id voter suppression?

Question

In Michigan I heard a lot of Dems complaing that if people had to show id's that this was just the republicans trying to supress the voters who are pro Democrat. Are the Democrats saying that their voters don't know how to get a photo id? In the last Michigan election over 60 dead people voted, I would think this would be a good enough reason for everyone to want to stop voter fraud.

Answer 1

It's not voter suppression.

Do people have so many outstanding arrest warrants that they don't dare swing by DMV to get a state ID? I don't think so.

The Constitutional right to vote is not blocked by mere verification of eligibility, any more than the Constitutional right of a citizen to return to the United States is blocked by the requirement to present a passport upon return.

The only argument I have seen that holds ANY water is the fee issue. If ID is mandatory, an acceptable form of ID should be provided free of charge -- otherwise it's a poll tax and adversely affects the poor.

Answer 2

For the 53 thousandth, nine hundredth, and fifty SEVENTH time, Not everyone HAS ID; ID is expensive to people who have no money. And it's all to "solve" a problem that doesn't EXIST. Disenfranchising the poor and people of color is the ONLY reason for those voter ID laws. Every election for decades Republicans have screamed voter fraud and called for investigations. They have NEVER found mor than a couple dozen cases IN THE WHOLE NATION. That's on the order of 0.0000004% --- never enough to change results or even require a recount. It's not a problem. Preventing millions or even tens of millions of people from voting is WRONG. If you don't want to live in a democracy, move to North Korea. It's not as though this writing is the FIRST time we've tried to explain all this.

Answer 3

The real shame is that the people we send to represent us are corrupt to the point that they resort to voter fraud to get their party stacked into Congress, the Courts etc. Already we can't trust them and then we must have them put a law in place so that we can get them out of office and with the exception of the President, it's the only way to take them off their throne.

Answer 4

All or most states offer photo ids, not just drivers licenses. There is no reason that I can see why non-drivers can't get one. unless of course they are here illegally or are living under assumed names. In the town I vote in we've had to show photo id for a long time, and rarely have had any complaints

It costs $15 in my state to get a non-driver photo id.

Answer 5

No, it sounds to me they are trying to commit voter fraud and if the voters have to provide photo ID to prove they are who they say than it makes it harder to commit that fraud. It isn't suppression but trying to keep the vote fair and honest as possible. Leave it to the Dems to get all pissy about a little thing like ID's.. Makes me not want to vote for them.

Answer 6

It's not suppression.

I think it is an insulting way for the Dems to say that minorities and poor people are stupid or too ignorant to get an ID.

We even had a Congressman complain about having to get some type of ID - it was too much trouble and he didn't have a DL since he never drove himself anywhere. This guy was just too lazy!

Answer 7

It isn't. Every state offers some sort of photo ID including but not limited to a driver's license.

The Dems know full well that there are a lot of people who can't qualify for a photo ID because they can't legaly vote. They want those votes! Pure and simple.

Answer 8

That is Alot of crap.... its not voter suppression is called voter identification...not too long ago people were voting under the names of dead people and in different districts under false names and it still goes on so in order to preserve the integrity of the voting system i think you should show ID since its the law to carry ID anyway!

Edit 20 mins later: Rooster is out of his mind! if what he says is valid to anyone then you should all think of the consequences of that idea...if i were to leave in my will that somone should vote republican, democrat, whig, independent...and that the government would accept these votes!?! insanity!!! partys change , representitives change, ideas change, ideals change, government cannot be ruled by the dead but rather by those who condone the living government

Answer 9

Rob is right - he deserves best answer -and by the way there is nothing about dead people not having the right to vote in the constitution -as a matter of fact in my last will and testament it states who I would vote for in the upcoming election if I were to die beforehand and an absentee ballot will be sent in my name :) (sounds like a new case for the supreme court )

Answer 10

It is not suppression but it might prevent a lot of voter fraud! Now why do you suppose the Dems are afraid of that??