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Can anyone tell me what's the big deal with voter ID? It's a standard in EU, Noone complains about it there.
In the EU everyone is likely to have an official ID card, so it's a non-issue.
In the US this is not the case, and the people who do have an ID or who are likely to know what to do to get an ID probably skew a certain way. So requiring voter ID is a way of voter suppression to discourage disenfranchised groups from voting.
If they don't bother to vote it's their choice. The requirement isn't unreasonable in any way.
In my experience in an EU country, sufficient ID was also provided freely by the government (eg a social security card).
This is not something in the US that is free. ID must also be a photo ID. So let's say you have a job where you work 7 days a week and take the bus because you don't have a driver's license. To get sufficient ID you must then: take unpaid time off of work, get to an office that issues ID, pay like $20 for such an ID... All to have the opportunity to exercise the right to vote.
This is both a tax and an unreasonable burden, effectively disenfranchising millions of poor people.
This is solvable though, if the government issues free IDs and sets something up to facilitate people getting their photos taken. However that would never be executed effectively, nor would people support paying the costs.
They don't want to solve it... the unreasonable burden and disenfranchisement are the point.
In Germany you do not need a ID to vote. Every citizen gets a voting invitation per mail which is a notification saying when and where to vote. It is also a single use "voting ticket", as instead of a ID.
You omitted that in the US, employment is largely "at will", which means even taking a few hours off work, even asking for that, can result in that person being fired, and many won't take that risk.
$20 once every like 10 years is unreasonable?
For an ID? No. For voting? Yes. Having to pay anything for voting is a problem. Just as having to stand in line all day, thus paying by not earning, is a major problem.
It's an extremely small cost for ensuring most important democratic process is untampered. The opposition for voter ID check is completely unreasonable
Believing that everyone can find money for an ID is extremely privileged.
I have had students who couldn't put together the equivalent 15USD, without a month's notice. In the US you have entire families being homeless, we don't.
Well that's great, since next elections are far more than one month away. You just made an argument that even poor students can afford it
You're not wrong in most of what you've said but equally in the EU you got to apply for one and pay for it, and an ID card is ~40€. Passport is a bit more. But yeah you could actually take your own passport photo with a mobile as long as it fullfills a few requirements. Most people just use a photographer who sends them directly to the police and then you just go online and pay and wait a few weeks and get your ID in the mail.
But yeah I know how different it is in the US especially because it affects different populations differently.
in Belgium it is fairly painless. it's possible to take time off for admin. and life here is really difficult without one. it's essential.
Yeah I wouldn't know about that aspect, the only time I've ever had a "normal schedule" were in the army and a few months of day shift as a taxi driver. And if I had to do something in the middle of the day I just did it between fares.
So I don't I now if people working 8-16 in Finland take personal days but it's possible at least. Not that it's even necessary for most I think. There's not many places you still have to physically go to to apply to things and whatnot. Mostly online.