Preview

Voter Id Laws

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
696 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Voter Id Laws
Niki Swanson
Govt 2306
22 March 2015

Voter I.D. Laws

The Voter I.D. Law is a law that requires some form of identification in order to vote for an election. Currently, there is much controversy over this issue. On one side, Republicans feel that this law will “protect the integrity of our Democracy”(Von Spakovsky). In addition, this law will prevent fraud and can be accessible to most citizens. On the other hand, Democrats feel that this law is “designed to keep people from voting”(Weiser). The idea of this law is to further improve our great nation, not to hurt it. Democrats feel like the minorities will not be able to vote due to the fact of the challenges from obtaining an identification card. On one hand, people believe that this law will decrease fraud and help our Democracy, while on the other hand, will disenfranchise thousands from voting and that the law doesn’t solve the issue completely. Von Spakovsky argues that this law will only improve our great nation. He argues that this is a basic requirement to insure the integrity of its citizens. This requirement will not only prevent illegal citizens from voting, but also prevent citizens from voting more than once. With this occurring, our elections are not as accurate as they could be. In addition, the author brings to attention that there is not fraud in every election, but with close elections, voter ID laws could make sure every vote is accurate. Another point brought up is that Americans use identification cards on a daily basis. For example, citizens use them to “board a plane, drive a car, check into a hotel, buy alcohol, or see a doctor”(Von Spakovsky). An ID card is a very reasonable requirement and is very accessible to all Americans. I agree with Von Spakovsky in the fact that this should be required and will help prevent fraud. In the world today, there are many ways individuals can travel to a DMV. In addition, ID cards do not expire for 10 years, which makes it even worth the trip to help


Cited: Von Spakovsky, Hans A. "Voter ID Laws Protect the Integrity of Our Democracy." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 13 July 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Weiser, Wendy. "Voter ID Laws Are Designed to Keep People From Voting." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 13 July 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Felons Right to Vote
    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Felons Right to Vote

    The lines are long, it’s raining, it’s hot, or it may be cold, but exercising your right to vote is as important as all of your other civil rights. As Americans we have came a very long way when it comes to protecting our civil rights, and choosing the right candidate to protect our country. In 1964, three civil right activist set out to set up a voter’s registry for African Americans, but it was short lived because they were brutally murder by members of the Klu Klux Klan in Philadelphia, Mississippi((IMBD). This helped pave the road for African Americans to get out and register to vote. Not long ago, only one-third of African Americans were registered to vote, and two third of the voters were white, because African Americans was terrified of voting, or they chose not to. While voting is a right that we all have, if you have committed a crime and it has been classified as a felon, in most states you are restricted from voting. Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there has been a significant increase of voters at the polls. It has increased significantly in the African America and Hispanic populations and due to this, President Obama, an African American, was voted into office in 2008, and is now serving his second term. There have been many protests regarding felons voting and their civil rights being violated. While three great men lost their lives over such a significant cause in Mississippi, in order for a convicted felon to vote in Mississippi, his or her state representative must personally author a bill reenfranchising that individual. Both houses of the legislature must then pass the bill. Re-enfranchisement can also be granted directly by the governor. (“ProCon.org”). …

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why We Should Be Required To Vote Dbq Essay
    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why We Should Be Required To Vote Dbq Essay

    Compulsory voting would help citizens to become further educated about voting. In accordance to the George Mason University citizens with a lower education or are of a younger age, have a lower percentage of voter turnout(Doc. B). This would be caused by the fact that these citizens don’t have much knowledge of how to vote. Having compulsory voting would eliminate this due to the fact that…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Real Id Law
    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Real Id Law

    Several state lawmakers have joined the fight against the requirements of the Real ID law, which they say are overkill. The federal Real ID law was created for prevention of identity theft and illegal immigrants and terrorists; enacted in 2010. In Florida, one important reason this was made because of the September 11 terrorist attacks, when it was revealed that some terrorists had obtained Florida IDs that allowed them to clear airport security checkpoints. Real ID requires official documents such as birth certificate, Social Security, passport, marriage license, and address proof to simply just renew your driver’s license. Greg Evers, a Republican state senator from Crestview, is attempting to get rid of many of these law’s requirements with the…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Voter Id Law Pros And Cons
    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Voter Id Law Pros And Cons

    The U.S. has 35 states that practice the voter id law, which requires some form of official identification in order for a person to register to vote, receive a ballot for an election, or to vote. Since these laws have been passed they have been the topic of debate during election time. There are many variables to consider when deciding if the positive benefits of the laws outweigh the negative benefits. Along with the voter id law being passed in several states in 2002, the federal government passed the Help America Vote Act, which mandates that all states and localities upgrade their election procedures, voting machines, and registration processes ext. Although, the Acts mandated by the states would help to mitigate voter fraud which is a…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Argumentative Essay: Australia's Voting System
    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Argumentative Essay: Australia's Voting System

    Non-voters are often generalized as lazy or selfish, but it viable that it is in their own self-interest not to vote. Forcing someone to betray their own self-interest it strictly undemocratic. A non-vote can mean apathy, but it can also mean disagreement or contentment with all candidates. Even if a compulsory system could be considered constitutional, how would the finer point be determined? To what extend will the United States go to enforce it? Furthermore, to what degree of punishment does the citizen have to pay if they neglect the “democratic duty” to cast a vote? Even further, how many strikes does that citizen get? Will the punishments continue to get worse as they continue to abstain from placing their vote? These are all crucial questions that would take…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Robert Powell's Bowling Alone
    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Robert Powell's Bowling Alone

    Robert Powell goes on to explain that voter turnout is disadvantaged 13% by the party system and institutional factors, and 14% by registration laws. Legal and administrative obstacles, including time/place restrictions on registration and voting, affect the poor and uneducated more than the well-off and educated. Additionally, parties strategize which eligible voters, i.e. those they believe will vote for them, they will reach out to “activate and enlist.” They even went a step further with their attempted termination of the Motor Voter Act. They approach specific groups and tailor their campaigns and platforms around those people.…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Voter Id In America Pros And Cons
    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Voter Id In America Pros And Cons

    During the last election several controversial issues, were being voted on. One of the topics that many people had strong opinions about was voter ID. The majority of people polled felt that Voter ID should be required in all elections. They firmly believed that if voter ID was mandatory it would increase voter confidence in the outcome of elections, reduce voter fraud, and facilitate use of updated, efficient 21st century election systems.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis
    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis

    Toobin starts the article with a brief review of the aftermath of the 2010 elections. He reminds us how nineteen states passed laws that barred people with no photo-I.D. or proof of citizenship from voting. They also passed laws that put restrictions on early and absentee voting. Toobin also makes us aware that in a majority of these states the legislature is controlled by Republicans. Through this he gives us facts that begin to support his argument that Republicans are trying to deprive democrats of power. The legislature claimed the intent of these laws was to detour voter fraud, but Toobin claims that the reasons the government gave were false because voter fraud is nonexistent. He supports this by including a quote by Mike Turzai, the Republican leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, who stated “Voter I.D. is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania: Done” The fact that he used a quote to support his argument shows he chose his stance because of valid research.…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Voter Registration Case Study
    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Voter Registration Case Study

    This case also involves the 10th Amendment and “necessary and proper clause” from Article 1 section 8. This clause gives Congress power “for carrying into Execution the foregoing powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution.” Constitutionally, is this voter registration law necessary and proper to the duties of the federal government? This is contrasted with the 10th amendment, which the Governor of California claims is being breached, which gives any power not granted to the federal government or prohibited to the states, to the…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Voter Id's: The Civil Rights Movement
    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Voter Id's: The Civil Rights Movement

    All forms of life have rights, whether you agree or not. In terms of the Human Race, this has varied throughout time. Especially for people of color. These disputes continued even after slavery was put to an end. It continued on in a movement known as the Civil Rights movement. A movement that is still yet very live today.…

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should Immigrants Have The Right To Vote Essay
    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Should Immigrants Have The Right To Vote Essay

    America has always been a nation of immigrants, and it remains today the most welcoming nation in the world. It is a violation of both state and federal law for immigrants who are not citizens to vote in state and federal elections. These violations effectively exclude legitimate voters whose votes are diluted, and they must be shortened. Voting is a notorious representation in American community life. Besides standing for public office, American citizens don’t have any more civic obligations than those that are derived from their ability and responsibility to help shape the community policy. The privilege to vote is an essential vehicle for exercising civic obligations. That is the reason the augmentation of the vote to all the country’s citizens has truly been…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Voting Right Act 1965
    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Voting Right Act 1965

    (civilrights.org, 2013). Are you kidding me? The more I read about the outrage against the law the angrier I become! An article published by the Washington Post made it seem like we were being ridiculous and unnecessarily harsh with lower-income minorities. (Horwitz, May 23). Why in the world wouldn’t the entire United States implement this procedure? It’s not racism, it’s completely fair. People want equality until it doesn’t benefit them. The article went on to say “Opponents say that the laws were designed to target people more likely to vote Democratic.” Give me a break. It’s to ensure that legal, productive members of society are the one’s casting their votes. It’s common sense. It’s not to discriminate. People 18 and older should have some sort of proper identification. Like I said before, this is obviously not a black and white situation. There are always going to be people that were dealt a bad hand or have a special circumstance. Make it easier for those people to share their stories and obtain identification, not change the law to let just anyone walk in and vote. The article also mentioned that Texas also allowed concealed handgun license to be used as proper identification. How very Texan of…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Informative Essay: Voter ID Laws In America
    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Informative Essay: Voter ID Laws In America

    Voter ID laws in America go back to the 1950’s, when South Carolina became the first state that required a person to have some form of identification document or in some cases, a photo ID to vote or receive a ballot for an election. Throughout many years this topic became a controversial issue in America and has caused a major uproar between American citizens. Voter ID laws are backed up by voter fraud claims that are not accurate. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both acted upon this issue and addressed voter ID laws in America in two different speeches.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Voter Id Laws
    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On Voter Id Laws

    The voter ID laws refers to a form of identification that a voter is required to present before he participates in a voting process. An individual may be required to present a photo Id that will prove their identity such as a driver’s license, military Id, or state issued identification card. The voter id law is important because it ensures that the person is eligible to vote to ensure that the voting process is not marred by irregularities. It also helps to prevent individuals from voting more than once. In some cases, the voter id is considered irrelevant as some people do not see the essence of the photo id requirement. It is important to allow people to vote regardless of the form of identification that they present on the Election Day.…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Absentee Voting Rights Violations
    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Absentee Voting Rights Violations

    Voting rights are an extension of civl rights. Since 2001, almost 1,000 bills that would tighten voting laws have been introduced in 46 states. In the 2008 election, 2.2 million registered voters did not vote because they did not have the proper identification. In 2011, the number affected rose to 3.8 million. The majority of these bills have been in regard to voter ID laws, which have been billed as a seemingly reasonable way to prevent people from impersonating voters at the polls. The laws, however, don't address the more prevalent forms of voter fraud, like double voting, absentee ballot fraud, and ineligible felons voting. Absentee voters particularly tend to be much older and much whiter than in-person voters. In 2012, 46% of absentee…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics