Member-only story
A Common Sense Solution For The Voter ID Debate
Why can’t politicians ever come up with simple solutions?
The voter ID debate is one that comes around every two years during election season. Proponents of voter ID laws say that IDs are easy to obtain and that having one is a common sense part of civic service. Opponents of voter ID laws say that the measure is burdensome and that obtaining an ID is not a condition for the universal right to vote. Both sides go round and round, and accusations of voter fraud and racism become rampant.
What if there was an easy solution that would help appease both sides? If there were such a solution, our brilliant government officials would have already come up with it. Right? Wrong.
An Elegant Solution
Make voter ID cards an official government photo ID. Instead of the little paper cards you get sent with no identifying information, send voters an official government ID with a photograph. This would solve multiple problems. First, it would provide official government IDs to every registered voter. Second, it would eliminate the excuse of not having an ID to be able to vote. Third, it would not be tied to any other government benefits like social security or driving privilege.
