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Essay:Voter ID: A Personal Reflection (view source)
Revision as of 23:41, October 2, 2012
, 23:41, October 2, 2012start an essay
{{Essay disclaimer|GregG}}
There is now just over a month before the 2012 Presidential election, and this election will be the first one where restrictive [[Voter ID]] laws will be enforced in more than a couple states. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of October 2, 2012, four states will have laws enforced in the November 2012 election requiring most voters to provide an approved photo identification in order to have their vote counted. Five other states currently have their laws blocked for the November 2012 election. Thirty states will request some form of identification from voters in November 2012.<ref name="ncsl">http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx</ref>
Nevertheless, every state with a voter ID law has their own variation on what sort of identification is required (including whether the identification must have a photo), and whether or not a vote will count if the voter does not present identification (strict voter ID vs. non-strict voter ID).<ref name="ncsl" /> Additionally, within the classes of strict vs. non-strict ID and photo vs. non-photo ID, there are variations in exactly what kinds of ID are acceptable, what types of identification the state makes available to those lacking a valid ID, and the documentation and procedure required to obtain such identification.
Although journalists find it convenient to lump all voter ID laws together in discussion, more sophisticated individuals (such as the readers of ''Conservapedia'') will appreciate the subtle nuances of each individual law (especially the law, if any, of their own state). Polls regularly show that most people agree that the general idea of voter ID is a good thing to have in our election system. In deciding whether a voter ID law is good or bad, an empiricist like me would have to examine both the pluses of a specific voter ID law (in terms of reducing fraud, increasing trust in elections, making polls more efficient) versus its minuses (disenfranchisement, reducing trust in government, costs of training and issuing free identification to those lacking it). A good citizen or legislator will also compare the pluses and minuses for individual provisions to determine the best voter ID law, if any, for their state.
(will expand later)
==References and footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
There is now just over a month before the 2012 Presidential election, and this election will be the first one where restrictive [[Voter ID]] laws will be enforced in more than a couple states. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of October 2, 2012, four states will have laws enforced in the November 2012 election requiring most voters to provide an approved photo identification in order to have their vote counted. Five other states currently have their laws blocked for the November 2012 election. Thirty states will request some form of identification from voters in November 2012.<ref name="ncsl">http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx</ref>
Nevertheless, every state with a voter ID law has their own variation on what sort of identification is required (including whether the identification must have a photo), and whether or not a vote will count if the voter does not present identification (strict voter ID vs. non-strict voter ID).<ref name="ncsl" /> Additionally, within the classes of strict vs. non-strict ID and photo vs. non-photo ID, there are variations in exactly what kinds of ID are acceptable, what types of identification the state makes available to those lacking a valid ID, and the documentation and procedure required to obtain such identification.
Although journalists find it convenient to lump all voter ID laws together in discussion, more sophisticated individuals (such as the readers of ''Conservapedia'') will appreciate the subtle nuances of each individual law (especially the law, if any, of their own state). Polls regularly show that most people agree that the general idea of voter ID is a good thing to have in our election system. In deciding whether a voter ID law is good or bad, an empiricist like me would have to examine both the pluses of a specific voter ID law (in terms of reducing fraud, increasing trust in elections, making polls more efficient) versus its minuses (disenfranchisement, reducing trust in government, costs of training and issuing free identification to those lacking it). A good citizen or legislator will also compare the pluses and minuses for individual provisions to determine the best voter ID law, if any, for their state.
(will expand later)
==References and footnotes==
{{Reflist}}