Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Voter Alert: Photo Identification Laws

In the wake of the 2010 elections, a number of state legislatures and governors' mansions fell into the hands of the Republican party. In the years that have followed, many of these states have enacted voter identification laws. These laws require voters to show a photo ID when they arrive at the polls to vote on Election Day. While proponents of these laws make the claim that they are trying to thwart voter fraud (which they believe was a problem in the 2008 election...although it wasn't), opponents of these laws make the claim that this is a tactic to suppress the voting impact of racial minorities and the poor (which tend to vote Democratic).

With this being a crucial election year, every vote will count. As such it is important that if you (or someone you know) are in one of these states, you have the proper ID in time for the election. Even though the national election is ten months away (as of when I'm writing this),  do not wait until the eleventh hour to take action. Also, their is the fact that there will be other reasons to go to the polls between now and then; primaries, ballot measures, special elections, and so on. Get the right ID now. The sooner you do it, the sooner you don't have to worry about it. And of course, if you are not registered to vote, get registered ASAP as well.

If you don't vote, you can't complain.

Currently considering photo identification laws:
-New Hampshire

States requiring photo identification:
-Alabama
-Florida
-Georgia
-Hawaii
-Idaho
-Indiana
-Kansas
-Louisiana
-Michigan
-South Dakota
-South Carolina
-Tennessee
-Texas
-Wisconsin

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures

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