7 ms·

If voter ID was accompanied by mandatory free ID services at the polls, it could be a net good. Short of that, it's definitely more harm than good.

mikem170 14d ago
Agreed, if id becomes madatory for voting then an appropriate id needs to be provided for free, otherwise it is effectively a poll tax, and poll taxes are illegal.
socalgal2 14d ago
What evidence do you have it’s bad? Most of Europe and Asia requires some form of id
- hackyhacky 14d ago
  Most of Europe and Asia have mandatory, free national ID cards.
  - throwawaypath 14d ago
    Every state in the US has free ID cards that work for voting.
    - angoragoats 4d ago
      This statement as written is false. If you disagree, please show me where Massachusetts has a free ID card available to anyone who wants it. The only people in MA who can get a free ID are the homeless. Yes, MA has other options for proving identity for voting purposes. But it does not have a general-purpose free ID card. If you’re going to be argumentative, and state that something “is a fact” multiple times, please make sure you’re correct before posting.
    - hackyhacky 14d ago
      No, they do not. Getting an ID card in most places requires a fee, as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent, and providing documentation such as a birth certificate, which also requires a fee. You take this process for granted because you live a privileged life, but for many people, taking a day off work and paying $50 to get an ID is an insurmountable obstacle, especially when it offers no immediate tangible benefit in their daily lives. If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. The fact that they don't support mandatory ID shows their real agenda: they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections.
      - throwawaypath 13d ago
        >No, they do not. Yes they do. >Getting an ID card in most places requires a fee, False, there are no fees for voter IDs. Please find a state where you believe this is true. >as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent Not always. >and providing documentation such as a birth certificate, which also requires a fee. False. Many (all?) states provide free birth certificates for voter IDs. >You take this process for granted I don't take this process for granted, it's the same process across the first world. >because you live a privileged life, but for many people, taking a day off work and paying $50 to get an ID is an insurmountable obstacle, Nice soft bigotry of low expectations. You're so privileged that you actually believe this objectively false propaganda. The fact that you've repeated it to multiple times to virtue signal which may dissuade people to vote is a luxury belief [0]. Who believes luxury beliefs? Privileged peopled. >If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. They do. >The fact that they don't support mandatory ID False, they do support free IDs. >they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections. Repeating propaganda doesn't make it true. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_belief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_belief
        hackyhacky 13d ago
        > Yes they do. Okay, we're at that level of argument, I see. Well, you forgot to bring your evidence. A drivers license in New York costs between $64.25 and $107.5 >>as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent > Not always. Please explain how a an ID issued without an in-person visit is supposed to securely represent a person's citizenship status? That is the point, after all, right? > False. Many (all?) states provide free birth certificates for voter IDs. Absolutely not true. Even if it were true, it's still friction, which is ~10% of the American population lacks an ID that would be required to vote. If you're trying to convince me that getting an ID is free and easy, you'll need to explain first why everyone who needs such an ID doesn't already have one.[1] > I don't take this process for granted, it's the same process across the first world. European countries in the "first world" have automatic, mandatory IDs, which the US does not. > virtue signal Republicans always accuse liberals of "virtue signalling" when liberals try to do anything supporting justice. To whom am I virtue signalling? My massive Instagram following (which I don't have)? Maybe you falsely accuse other people of chasing clout because the idea of pursuing justice for its own sake is completely foreign to your own morality. >>If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. >They do. Please check your facts. Free, mandatory ID was offered as amendment by Democrats to the recent voter ID law and was voted down by Republicans. [2] >>The fact that they don't support mandatory ID >False, they do support free IDs. That's not what I said. In order for voter ID laws to be fair, IDs must be not only free, but mandatory for everyone and issued automatically. Republicans have consistently voted against such a law. >they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections. Do you really disagree with that statement? Can you then explain why the GOP has systematically disenfranchised voters? Just a few recent examples: * Georgia improperly purged legitimate voters https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/georgia-gove https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/georgia-gove... * Tarrant County, Texas dramatically reduces polling sites in Democrat-leaning areas, despite population growth https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/01/advocates-demand-incr https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/01/advocates-demand-incr... * Tennessee (among other states) gerrymanders its districts to disenfranchise minority voters https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-memphis-voters-fee https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-memphis-voters-fee... > Repeating propaganda doesn't make it true. I absolutely agree with this statement. Somebody should tell Donald Trump (and his rabid followers), who despite your exhortation insists on lying about election fraud. [1] https://voteriders.org/article/who-doesnt-have-an-id-in-america-today/ https://voteriders.org/article/who-doesnt-have-an-id-in-amer... [2] https://apnews.com/article/save-act-senate-voting-bill-trump-voter-id-2d44f778d671ff4d8e2caec1a85bcb36 https://apnews.com/article/save-act-senate-voting-bill-trump...

mikem170 14d ago

Agreed, if id becomes madatory for voting then an appropriate id needs to be provided for free, otherwise it is effectively a poll tax, and poll taxes are illegal.

socalgal2 14d ago

What evidence do you have it’s bad? Most of Europe and Asia requires some form of id

hackyhacky 14d ago
Most of Europe and Asia have mandatory, free national ID cards.
- throwawaypath 14d ago
  Every state in the US has free ID cards that work for voting.
  - angoragoats 4d ago
    This statement as written is false. If you disagree, please show me where Massachusetts has a free ID card available to anyone who wants it. The only people in MA who can get a free ID are the homeless. Yes, MA has other options for proving identity for voting purposes. But it does not have a general-purpose free ID card. If you’re going to be argumentative, and state that something “is a fact” multiple times, please make sure you’re correct before posting.
  - hackyhacky 14d ago
    No, they do not. Getting an ID card in most places requires a fee, as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent, and providing documentation such as a birth certificate, which also requires a fee. You take this process for granted because you live a privileged life, but for many people, taking a day off work and paying $50 to get an ID is an insurmountable obstacle, especially when it offers no immediate tangible benefit in their daily lives. If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. The fact that they don't support mandatory ID shows their real agenda: they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections.
    - throwawaypath 13d ago
      >No, they do not. Yes they do. >Getting an ID card in most places requires a fee, False, there are no fees for voter IDs. Please find a state where you believe this is true. >as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent Not always. >and providing documentation such as a birth certificate, which also requires a fee. False. Many (all?) states provide free birth certificates for voter IDs. >You take this process for granted I don't take this process for granted, it's the same process across the first world. >because you live a privileged life, but for many people, taking a day off work and paying $50 to get an ID is an insurmountable obstacle, Nice soft bigotry of low expectations. You're so privileged that you actually believe this objectively false propaganda. The fact that you've repeated it to multiple times to virtue signal which may dissuade people to vote is a luxury belief [0]. Who believes luxury beliefs? Privileged peopled. >If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. They do. >The fact that they don't support mandatory ID False, they do support free IDs. >they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections. Repeating propaganda doesn't make it true. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_belief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_belief
      - hackyhacky 13d ago
        > Yes they do. Okay, we're at that level of argument, I see. Well, you forgot to bring your evidence. A drivers license in New York costs between $64.25 and $107.5 >>as well a trip to the DMV or equivalent > Not always. Please explain how a an ID issued without an in-person visit is supposed to securely represent a person's citizenship status? That is the point, after all, right? > False. Many (all?) states provide free birth certificates for voter IDs. Absolutely not true. Even if it were true, it's still friction, which is ~10% of the American population lacks an ID that would be required to vote. If you're trying to convince me that getting an ID is free and easy, you'll need to explain first why everyone who needs such an ID doesn't already have one.[1] > I don't take this process for granted, it's the same process across the first world. European countries in the "first world" have automatic, mandatory IDs, which the US does not. > virtue signal Republicans always accuse liberals of "virtue signalling" when liberals try to do anything supporting justice. To whom am I virtue signalling? My massive Instagram following (which I don't have)? Maybe you falsely accuse other people of chasing clout because the idea of pursuing justice for its own sake is completely foreign to your own morality. >>If voter ID advocates feel so strongly about their position, they would support mandatory ID. >They do. Please check your facts. Free, mandatory ID was offered as amendment by Democrats to the recent voter ID law and was voted down by Republicans. [2] >>The fact that they don't support mandatory ID >False, they do support free IDs. That's not what I said. In order for voter ID laws to be fair, IDs must be not only free, but mandatory for everyone and issued automatically. Republicans have consistently voted against such a law. >they don't care about securing elections, they care only about excluding the undesirable class from elections. Do you really disagree with that statement? Can you then explain why the GOP has systematically disenfranchised voters? Just a few recent examples: * Georgia improperly purged legitimate voters https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/georgia-gove https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/georgia-gove... * Tarrant County, Texas dramatically reduces polling sites in Democrat-leaning areas, despite population growth https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/01/advocates-demand-incr https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/01/advocates-demand-incr... * Tennessee (among other states) gerrymanders its districts to disenfranchise minority voters https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-memphis-voters-fee https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-memphis-voters-fee... > Repeating propaganda doesn't make it true. I absolutely agree with this statement. Somebody should tell Donald Trump (and his rabid followers), who despite your exhortation insists on lying about election fraud. [1] https://voteriders.org/article/who-doesnt-have-an-id-in-america-today/ https://voteriders.org/article/who-doesnt-have-an-id-in-amer... [2] https://apnews.com/article/save-act-senate-voting-bill-trump-voter-id-2d44f778d671ff4d8e2caec1a85bcb36 https://apnews.com/article/save-act-senate-voting-bill-trump...