Why I am FOR Voter ID

I don't think voter ID would make any sort of significant impact on the elections one way or another. Jerrymandering, voter suppression laws now being passed by Republicans in the states they control, voter intimidation at the ballot box by extremist right-wing groups, collusion with foreign governments (like the Trump campaign did with Russia), ... those things can sway an election. Not necessarily any one of them isolated, but the combination of all. I don't think requiring voter ID at the ballot box will impact anywhere close to any of those.

However, it is a tragedy when an American is denied their constitutional right to vote. So there has to be a compromise. I think Democrats should accept the fact that a proper universal ID for voting is good. However, this ID requirement should apply to far more than voting. For example, this same "universal ID" (I'll call it that, but you can call it whatever you want) should be required to buy guns. It should have the person's encrypted health information that can only be accessed with the bearer's authorization or a court order. Also it should be required to buy a gun. This means it should also have the person's encrypted criminal and mental record which, same as above, can only be accessed with the bearer's authorization (biometics, password..) or with a court order. The Universal ID should be required for travel, to cash a check, to checkout a book at the library, to go to the doctor... anything that requires you to prove that you are you. And it should be issued at birth. So every American would automatically be registered to vote the very second they turn 18.

Once all this is implemented (not before), the Universal ID should most definitely be a necessary requirement for voting.

 

My thoughts …

It’s not fully implemented yet, but soon you will need a passport or a “Real ID”, issued by your state, in order to fly on commercial airlines. These state issued ID’s cannot be faked and would be fine as a voter ID.

I don’t see how you are going to automatically register someone to vote because we live in a mobile society, and you have to register in the county where you live.

Putting medical info onto a chip on an ID is not likely to happen. There would be a lot of resistance to doing that.

Using a Real ID to buy guns would be fine with me.

 

Why do we need voter id again? Just seems like a waste of money and more importantly who gets to decide what documents are needed and accepted? Remember it’s a luxury if people can access the government and government resources.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you that we should definitely have voter ID, although from a somewhat different approach.

Nonetheless, this is a major achievement as far as I'm concerned -- we finally AGREE on something of importance and substance. Already I look forward to the next opportunity to do so again!

 

For the same reason we need an ID to open a bank account, drive, get a job, travel internationally, buy a bottle of booze, buy a pack of cigarettes or cigars, fly on a plane, unless it's yours, in which case you'd have to present ID to buy it, watch a movie that's "Rated R", buy a house, rent an apartment (or house), act in porn, and so many other things I'm not even thinking of...

To prove-
A: You are who you say you are. And,
B: You are qualified to vote. Old enough, registered in the right place, voting in the right place, etc.

That's all. But that's important. It's bad enough that we take people's word for it on the "Are you a citizen" check-box on the voter registration form, which means that literally anyone on the planet can get a voter registration card if they're willing to break the law and lie, but we should at least make people prove they're me if they claim to be. Because I can prove I'm me, and I'm betting you probably can't. And vice-versa.

 

No issues with voter ID at all. Are you specifically advocating for a Federal standard?

 

Well, at least some of us are smart enough to see what you really care about here, and that's that you want access to the health records of would-be gun buyers, cleverly disguised as something you know people opposed to that are down with. But you would still have to get major changes passed to HIPAA laws, and I for one just don't see that happening.

 

There will be no legal voter suppressed in any Republican state. Legal being defined as property registered and presenting valid ID while voting, in person or absentee.

 

I know. I got mine yesterday. It's one of the reasons why I wrote this thread.

That can change when you update your driver's license, or tax information, or any of the data that would be encrypted on your record. I don't even see a problem if you decide not to change any of that and you are simply registered to vote in the state you were born. In fact, I don't see a problem with states implementing voting online.

It doesn't have to be on the chip. It just needs to be accessible using the chip. There will definitely be resistance. But I don't think this will be the main reason why. The main reason will be that the right will think it makes it too easy to vote.

 

Yes. It would definitely have to be a Federal ID standard to ensure that ALL Americans have an ID to vote with. And if a state doesn't participate, residents of that state wouldn't be able to cash checks or travel or... do any of the other things in other states.

 

Not that many. The HITECH Act (I believe it is) already allows for electronic records to be kept online. If you refuse to have your medical records online, I would have no problem with you opting out. But then you shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun. Just like you are not allowed to vote if you refuse to carry your "Universal ID". Nobody needs access to the records. Just to whether or not you have a medical or criminal record that would prevent it. A simple binary "Yes" or "No" field in the database.

I think you are desperately trying to find a partisan flaw in something that is just common sense.

 

I think the right is interested in election integrity, not making it harder to vote. What the right wants, and what all Americans should want, is to be sure that the ballot that is cast was cast by voter for whom it was intended. Vote by mail is convenient, but it is not foolproof as far as integrity goes. The door to fraud is open with vote by mail. That said, perhaps vote by mail could use technology to close those doors. My wife and I have been doing our income taxes online for years with no problems for example.

What if you could insert your Real ID into a card reader attached to your computer and then access your ballot?

 

Well I spose it was innevitable that the 'IDs are racist!' narrative would be abandonned by the establishment once it became apparent that so many minorities were opposed to vaccine mandates... Anything that gets BLM and Trumpers on the same side of an issue is simply too dangerous.

 

You already have to show ID to buy guns. Does the OP not know this?

 

Yes, I know. But different states have different levels of proof of who you are. For example of really poor proof, a utility bill or a cancelled check. “Real ID” has a high standard of proof.

 

That's already the law, and has been for a long time. Regarding guns, anyway, not voting. Aside from your SS card, which they REPEATEDLY promised would never be used as any sort of ID, and lied about, there is no such thing as a a federal ID. As someone else stated, the Real ID comes somewhat close, but it's still done at the State level. I've had a Real ID for well over a decade now, and I do not understand why it's not virtually universal at this point. But I can assure you I will not be walking around with my complete medical records in my pocket, no matter how much anyone might assure me it's hackproof. That's one thing I would refuse to comply with even if it's legally mandated.

That said, when you come out in favor of something that the lefty leadership is opposed to (even though some 80% of voters regardless of their partisan leanings are in favor of), I question your motives. I know you are VERY anti-gun and looking for any possible excuse you can find to prohibit/limit private persons being allowed to buy them, so this is obviously more about that than it is about voter ID.

Though if you're actually down with just mandatory voter ID (and wanting to close the "we take your word for it" policies re: citizenship), absent the other baggage, then welcome to the club. To oppose it is irrational.

 

You do have to show an id to buy a gun. Private sales in my state even requires you keep record of the id of the buyer for 15 years.

 

So, how do you do voter ID with mail in votes?

Of course, the question is, what is an ID? Think about it. Is a federal badge an ID? Or a State Badge? Or a Student ID badge? Or a DL, State issued ID Card, Green Card, Work Authorization Card, Passport, or even an I9? Or how about a Native American Tribal Identification Card?

So, how do you differentiate between one ID that is accepted and one id that is not accepted.

 

It appears OP wants a universal/federal ID for everyone.

...which is prolly what this whole thing has always been about from the start.

 

We have that, it's called a passport. But that is a priveldge and it should not be used as "identity papers."

 

Already fixed.

 

Do tell! Please explain.

 

Colorado and a couple of other states have had mail-in voting for years with minimal problems, so it can be done.

 

I live in Oregon which has had mail in voting for a long time “with minimal problems”, but let me give you a first person example. My adult daughter moved out of our house a couple years ago. She was registered to vote. She doesn’t live in the same county as we do. She has not bothered to let our County Clerk know that she has moved, and I continue to get her ballots mailed to our house.

Problems:

If I was dishonest I could vote her ballot and forge her signature onto her ballot.

Also, some elections are for local issues. If I give her her ballot, and she votes on a local issue, that vote is fraudulent because she no longer lives in the local area. For example, she could vote for or against a candidate for the state legislature or the U.S. House of Representatives, giving a vote she is not entitled to give.

And frankly, Oregon does not expend much effort to insure that every vote is a valid vote. They take small samplings of ballots, find a few bad ones, and then just declare that it’s all good. But they don’t really know, and it doesn’t seem like they really want to know.

And this is why I am skeptical of states claiming that their are “minimal problems” with their mail-in voting systems. It is very convenient, but it opens the door to fraud, and I am not making up my personal experience.

 

All voter registrations should expire after every Presidential and midterm election, or maybe even 6, 12, or 18 months later. This will weed out many-most of the dead/moved folks at the least.