General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Thank You Mr. President. Thank You Gen. Holder [View all]winter is coming
(11,785 posts)but were selectively enforced by local election officials in a discriminatory way. In this case, the requirements for voter ID have a disproportionately negative effect on the poor, minorities, students, and the elderly.
ID cards cost money. You have to get them in person, which could mean getting time off from work (not so easy if you have a minimum-wage job). The place where you have to get the ID may not be readily accessible via mass transit, so if you don't have a car, that's another hurdle. (Some counties in Texas don't even have their own office to do this; you have to travel to another county.) If you move, you have to make another trip, to update your address. You need a birth certificate, which some elderly don't have.
So, if you've got a car, and money's not tight, and you can take time off from work, it's not so bad. Otherwise, it sucks. All to "fix" a problem that's virtually nonexistent. John Oliver had a great segment about this on The Daily Show, discussing the new voter ID law in North Carolina. In 2012, 4.5 million people voted in NC and there was one case of voter fraud at the polls. As John Oliver pointed out, they might as well have passed a law that says, "Dave can't vote, and he knows why."
btw, welcome to DU!