Requiring voters to show a valid government-issued I.D. to vote sounds like a good idea…until you think about it. Do we really believe that voter impersonation is a huge problem in Minnesota? Do we know of anyone who went to the polls on election day only to discover that another person, pretending to be them, forged their name and stole their vote? Do we think that elections are being jeopardized by vast numbers of people willing to risk felony convictions by using fake names in order to vote? If not, why impose hardships on legitimate voters to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?
The whole issue is no big deal for those who are wealthy and healthy enough to own and operate a car, as we already have a governmentissued driver’s license. However, approximately 210,000 (7%) of the 3.1 million registered voters in Minnesota do not. Research says that non-drivers are most often elderly, disabled, poor, people of color, or students. Even if they had the option to obtain free I.D. cards, they may not have the appropriate documents, physical ability, transportation, time or the money to go to a designated government office during the workday to get one.
Voter I.D. requirements could also impose significant financial burdens on the county, and therefore taxpayers. I.D. cards aren’t really “free.” There would be a cost for the staff time and equipment to process the cards.
If voter I.D. eliminates the ability for jurisdictions such as Cook County to continue mail balloting, the cost to equip and staff polling places in rural areas would be substantial and the challenge of even finding suitable handicapped-accessible buildings would be daunting.
Still, the major concern isn’t the cost, it’s that 210,000 currently registered voters in Minnesota would be forced to jump through hoops to get to the ballot box, and some of them won’t make it. Americans have fought and died to preserve our fundamental right to vote. It is ironic that one of the current threats to democracy comes not from foreign enemies but from ourselves. We should support and protect every citizen’s right and ability to cast a ballot in as easy a manner as possible. We can do that is by voting “No” on the proposed Voter I.D. Constitutional Amendment.
Janet Simonen
Grand Marais
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