I have a question for those who oppose the laws passed around the country demanding photo ID in order to vote...
In Canada you require a piece of government photo ID and a voter identification card sent to your home to be able to vote.
In Germany you get mailed a voter identification card; this has to be presented in conjunction with a photo ID to vote.
Ditto France. Ditto England.
Are all of these states racist too? Or is too much to ask people to pay $50 to have photo ID so we can maintain the integrity of elections?
8:42 AM PT: The responses have been lame and unconvincing. If someone can't produce one of the many of the many varied photo ID's that one can get, or have the money, time, or motivation to get one, I don't really know why they should be given the benefit of the doubt at the polling station.
8:53 AM PT: Back to the initial question:
Is every other member of the G8 - who require photo ID or make their voters go through a lot of hoops at the polling station to vote - racist? Or does that just apply when this policy is instituted in America?
9:51 AM PT: The answer from the masses: no, they are not racist, it's just America because we had slavery and Jim Crow back in the day.
I've read every reply on this thread, just so people know.
My conclusion: perhaps requiring photo ID for voting is wrong if it isn't required for other governmental business. But that doesn't mean the principle is wrong: we should have a central database of birth certificates, voter ID registrations. A national law for voting standards and part of that law should be that you need to produce photo ID in order to vote. The only cost associated with that photo ID should be whatever it costs the government to produce it.
Do Republicans use photo ID law's to discourage voting by the poor? Sure. Do you need to reassess your life if you can't come up with the time or money to get some form of ID? Yup.