First things first, I don’t doubt it is a bad thing, considering who supports it and who doesn’t.
But my question is what exactly is the issue and what is the current and proposed voting process when it comes to IDs?
Here in my EU country, you have to show some version of a government ID, be it an ID card, drivers license or passport. And we don’t have to pre-register to vote.
We don’t have a free national ID, even state IDs cost money. There should be no money involved in the right to vote.
Same thing in EU. At least over here in Finland. But, the passport is paid for by the social service if you are on their money.
US passports cost hundreds of dollars and take 4-6 months to receive… sometimes even after paying an additional fee to expedite the process.
I’m pretty sure ours doesn’t work like that. But also, a passport isn’t as common to have here.
Yeah, but here nothing works without having an ID or a passport, so everyone must have access to it.
That’s how the US works as well, you need ID for everything, it’s just lies and propaganda that claims undocumented people are using any services, the reality is literally the opposite.
Every single state with voter id requirements either gives free voter id cards or waives fees on existing id forms if u state if for the purposes of voting.
Interestingly I come from a nation where voting is not a right but a duty. Yes in Australia you get fined if you don’t vote. U can purposely spoil ur ballot that’s fine and that goes in the statistics but u still need to show up and purposely do that.
Canada. No free national ID card. About $15 a year, renewed every 5 years. Your health ID and driver ID can be separate or same-card, and can be used to fulfill “government-issued picture ID” required to vote; otherwise it’s a passport, probably, which is a little more.
Who are the US modeling themselves after when they demand a free ID card before it is required to verify identity for voting?
It’s not a model, it’s a guaranteed constitutional right that has been upheld a LOT of times in the supreme court over the last two centuries. You cannot have a poll tax, period. In any possible way, shape or form. It cannot cost a single cent to vote. Ever. Under any possible circumstances, without a significant constitutional amendment. It cannot be changed via law, and any laws passed that do require ID but do not make IDs free are undeniably unconstitutional based on 200 years of precedent.
So we find ourselves trapped in a loop, because voting is an enshrined right.
It’s also… just not needed. The only way you can register to vote is by proving your identity and citizenship. Using the free process that exists in every state and most US territories (not for federal elections in the territories unless they overlap with a state).
We aren’t Canada. Voting is a right and it shouldn’t be tied to any fee.
Having government ID of any kind (in fact, any documentation of any kind) isn’t strictly required to vote in Canada.
Free id and voting are technically distinct concerns.
We get it Canada sucks you don’t got to convince us. Lick that boot and pay that poll tax son.