Alabama illustrates the problem with voter ID laws

[Atomic Playboy]

Alabama, the shining beacon of liberty and justice the rest of the world can only aspire to, passed a law requiring a valid ID to vote in 2011; it went into effect in 2014 after portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act were struck down by the US Supreme Court. The law mandates all citizens who wish to cast a vote are required to present valid photo identification at the time they cast their ballot.

Yesterday, due to budget cuts, the state of Alabama announced they would be shutting down driver's license examinations at 31 DMV satellite locations around the state. In a shocking twist, the majority of the satellite locations that will no longer offer licensing services are in counties with a majority non-white population. Eight out of ten of the Alabama counties with the greatest non-white populations will have DMVs closed. Every single county with 75% or greater black population now has zero DMV licensing centers serving them.

Now it's not like citizens in these counties will be completely unable to obtain legal identification. The Alabama DMV offers a map of other DMV offices for people with access to a friend with a car and some free time. The state also has a mobile unit that drives around and sets people up with free voter IDs; you just better be able to be there for the 2 hours a month it might be available in your district. So, you know, OPTIONS!

This is the concern we silly liberals have with voter ID laws. It always feels like a way to suppress the vote of undesirables rather than address something that is legitimately a problem. Because it's one thing to put a voter ID law in place and then make room in the budget to insure that it is easy and affordable for every citizen in your state to meet those requirements so they can participate in the electoral system. That would be downright noble! But that never seems to be quite how it goes. The playbook always looks more like this:

Step 1: Institute voter ID laws in the guise of stopping voter fraud that has not once been shown to exist in significant numbers
Step 2: Close down all the places people can get IDs in the areas with people you'd rather weren't voting
Step 3: Profit!

You just wish they weren't so blatant with it, you know?

Biased editorial
Unbiased news report
ALEA press release

 

[senseamp]

Another decision that will make the Roberts Court look like fools.

 

[ivwshane]

Well, shitty policies lead to shitty results. Maybe they should do more gerrymandering and vote in more republicans, maybe then they can move from 46th to 50 in economic rankings.

 

[HomerJS]

but...but...but...but...but it's about "voter fraud"


Yeah Republicans can't outwardly say "we want to stop those darkies from voting", so they just do it on the sneak tip. Although there have been some Republicans that let it slip...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuOT1bRYdK8

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Red = Counties with no DMV access.

 

[Ackmed]

Every adult should have a valid ID anyways. Just go to the next county. Stop crying, and do what needs to be done.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

This isn't a problem, it's a feature.

 

[brianmanahan]

how can you live in america in the 21st century and NOT have some form of legal identification?

 

[senseamp]

how can you live in america in the 21st century and NOT have some form of legal identification?

The issue is lower income people rent, and often move as a result. If every time you move, there is a big hassle to get a new license, you may keep your old address one for a while, which could then stop you from voting. So of course, "completely coincidentally," Republicans are making at as hard as possible to get your license updated.

 

[Ackmed]

It's called being an adult. There is zero excuse for not having an ID. Your excuse that people who rent move a lot out of the county if not factual. Good try though.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

how can you live in america in the 21st century and NOT have some form of legal identification?

Holy fuck do really need to review this entire bullshit argument again with you people? It's very easy to do. Clearly since so many people are doing it.

What next you going to tell everyone all the things you need an ID to do?

The simple fact is if someone can have the necessary method of identifying themselves to get a job, qualify for Medicare, for Social Security etc... that should be enough to qualify to vote.

 

[senseamp]

It's called being an adult. There is zero excuse for not having an ID. Your excuse that people who rent move a lot out of the county if not factual. Good try though.

You don't have to move out of the county, just out of the precinct. They still have an ID, it just doesn't have the latest address on it. I love how Republican statists now want everyone to have a state ID. They were whining about a national ID program a few years ago.

 

[shira]

but...but...but...but...but it's about "voter fraud"


Yeah Republicans can't outwardly say "we want to stop those darkies from voting", so they just do it on the sneak tip. Although there have been some Republicans that let it slip...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuOT1bRYdK8

No. It's about voter-fraud fraud.

 

[Ackmed]

You don't have to move out of the county, just out of the precinct. They still have an ID, it just doesn't have the latest address on it. I love how Republican statists now want everyone to have a state ID. They were whining about a national ID program a few years ago.

When I moved, I went online and changed it. Paid the $24 and they sent me another within a week. It's not hard, stop making excuses for lazy people.

 

[shira]

It's called being an adult. There is zero excuse for not having an ID. Your excuse that people who rent move a lot out of the county if not factual. Good try though.

Let's assume this is true. So how come Alabama has made it more difficult for minorities to get IDs compared with non-minorities?

But I'm sure you can rationalize to yourself how Alabama is being totally non-political about this issue.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Listen I'm all for voter ID there does need to be a reasonable and easy process to obtain one for every voter, even ones without cars, friends or family.
How expensive is it to operate multiple DMV sites to issue IDs why is this even a problem?
I don't think in person voter fraud is a problem that needs to be addressed but if you're using licenses as ID the state needs to have multiple locations that are staffed to handle high volume.

 

[senseamp]

When I moved, I went online and changed it. Paid the $24 and they sent me another within a week. It's not hard, stop making excuses for lazy people.

Poll tax. Not surprised Republican statists support requiring people to pay the state for the right to vote. And oh, BTW, you have to do it in person in Alabama.

This will change your address on DPS records only. If you would like an updated driver's license or ID card showing your new address, you will need to apply for a duplicate card in person at an Alabama DPS office.

And it's $32, and you have to take time off work, and you have to drive to another county. It adds up.

 

[Ackmed]

Let's assume this is true. So how come Alabama has made it more difficult for minorities to get IDs compared with non-minorities?

But I'm sure you can rationalize to yourself how Alabama is being totally non-political about this issue.

How did they make it more difficult for minorities than non? It is extremely easy to get an ID. Just take a little time, and someone not being lazy.

 

[shira]

how can you live in america in the 21st century and NOT have some form of legal identification?

Unless all those of ID-less Alabamans are lying about their existence, apparently it's quite possible to live one's entire lifetime without having an ID card of the type that Alabama requires for voter registration.

So you DO understand, don't you, that what this all means is that the ONLY reason these people are being forced to get a "qualifying" ID card is so that they can vote? In other words, they don't need an ID card for any other purpose whatsoever.

 

[shira]

How did they make it more difficult for minorities than non? It is extremely easy to get an ID. Just take a little time, and someone not being lazy.

Read the fvcking thread, imbecile.

 

[Mxylplyx]

When I moved, I went online and changed it. Paid the $24 and they sent me another within a week. It's not hard, stop making excuses for lazy people.

Sorry, but you dont know what the hell you are talking about. I live in this shit hole state, so I do.

https://www.alabamainteractive.org/dl_renewal/welcome.action

To change your address or to add or remove license classes, restrictions and endorsements, please see an examiner.

If you have recently moved and have a Forwarding Address, the post office WILL NOT forward a license or ID Card.

 

[CitizenKain]

How did they make it more difficult for minorities than non? It is extremely easy to get an ID. Just take a little time, and someone not being lazy.

Maybe they aren't getting free money from the government while on "disability" to take time off for it.

 

[trenchfoot]

Alabama strikes back against the federal government's illegal attempts at violating their sovereign state's rights.

And as the nation now turns to the folks who enabled and promoted such righteous acts, Justice Roberts and his conservative cohort clones ducks, runs and hide in their robe closets until this all blows over.

 

[dainthomas]

Sorry, but you dont know what the hell you are talking about. I live in this shit hole state, so I do.

https://www.alabamainteractive.org/dl_renewal/welcome.action

To change your address or to add or remove license classes, restrictions and endorsements, please see an examiner.

If you have recently moved and have a Forwarding Address, the post office WILL NOT forward a license or ID Card.

Fascists believe there's nothing wrong with forcing poor minorities to take half a day off work to drive to the next county and sit at the DMV for hours every time they move for the sole purpose of obtaining a state-approved ID so they are allowed to vote. (holy run-on sentence, Batman!)

However the antiquated system that forces every citizen in Alabama to waste time at the DMV for such a simple, routine task should tick people of every race off.

Here's Oregon:

http://www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv/pages/dv/chgaddress.aspx

and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon

 

[Cozarkian]

So the problem isn't with ID laws in general, it is with the acceptable forms of ID and ease of getting them. That's fine. Convince a liberal state to pass an exemplar law that creates ease of access for obtaining the required ID.