Here in the Great Land of Alaska, when we vote, we proceed hither to our local community center. There, when we get to the front of the line - it's usually a short queue, as there are only about 2,000 people in our little rural community, and not all of those are eligible to vote - we present some form of ID, usually an Alaska driver's license or state ID card. Then, we sign the log next to our name, fill out a paper ballot, and drop it in the box.
That's how these things should work, and in 36 states now, that's more or less how it does. Some states however allow provisional or unverified ballots to be evaluated later once some ID has been presented, or be discarded if the voter can't be arsed to prove they are who they say they are.
Somewhat predictably, there are some in the legacy media who are complaining about the rise of voter ID laws.
The stricter requirements ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections were years in the making. North Carolina’s law, passed in 2018, was blocked by the state Supreme Court three years later, with the court ruling the law was “motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters.”
The court reversed that decision in 2023, after the election of two GOP justices, allowing the law to go into effect. A federal lawsuit against it is set to go to trial this spring, The Associated Press reported.
Let's be clear about one thing: None of these laws are motivated by an intent to target African American voters, nor any other voters. That's just plain silly. It is no more difficult for African Americans to obtain an ID than anyone else; there is no magical bar to people in the matter of obtaining an ID, no matter what their melanin content is. This is just one more example of a knee-jerk response, crying "Racist!" at every turn, whether the argument is supported or not. If anything, one would think that the overwhelmingly-white rural dwellers would have a stronger case here - in our case, the nearest place we can obtain or renew our driver's licenses (or state ID) is about 50 miles away.
See Related: Majority of Americans Support Voter ID, Other Election Integrity Laws That Democrats Call 'Racist'
So Much for Jim Crow 2.0 Narrative: Federal Judge Rejects Claim That Georgia Voter ID Law Is Racist
Requesting some form of identification from voters dates to the 1950s, but two Supreme Court decisions in the past two decades have paved the way for states to enact ID requirements. In 2008, the court ruled that an Indiana law requiring voters to present photo ID did not violate the Constitution.
In 2013, another decision stripped a section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that required states with a history of voter discrimination to get federal approval to make changes that affect voting.
So now the gates are open, and this is an unalloyed good for election integrity and the observance of the "one citizen, one vote" principle.
The reality is that one cannot function in our modern society without some form of government-issued ID. You cannot open a bank account or cash a check. In most places, you can't buy booze or smokes, and you can't buy a rifle, shotgun, or sidearm at any retail establishment. You can't be hired for any traditional employment. Why is it that none of those requirements are discriminatory, but somehow, requiring an ID to vote is?
The argument that requiring ID is somehow discriminating against any particular group is the purest of corral litter, suitable only for enriching lawns.
Voter ID is an idea that is long, long overdue. It's impossible to have representative government without election integrity, and a system that requires the voter to show up (with certain narrowly defined exceptions, like deployed military members), on Election Day, ID in hand, to fill out their ballot, will go a long way towards ensuring that integrity. So now, 36 states are requiring that the citizenry show an ID before voting. It's past time that all 50 states have the same requirement. And, to be perfectly honest, anyone who can't be bothered to take that minimal step - present one's self at the DMV, show a birth certificate and a utility bill or some such evidence of residency, and obtain that ID - then, that person probably shouldn't be voting in any case.
