Photo Identification Research Paper

Requiring photo identification to vote does not suppress voter turnout; instead it protects the integrity of elections. Shirley Jackson Lee argues that it suppresses voter turnout, however, I agree with Hans von Spakovsky’s stance that it protects the integrity because he makes a plethora of valid points. Requiring photo identification is a measure that is necessary to keep elections just and overturning this policy could lead to many issues in future elections. The need for photo identification is imperative in order to keep elections in the United States fair. Americans who are eligible to vote should have the opportunity to do so, however, “it is equally important that the votes of eligible voters are not stolen or diluted by fraudulent or bogus vote cast by an ineligible or imaginary voter” (“Rourke, p.96). There are …show more content…
First and foremost, in this day in age you need a photo id for pretty much anything that occurs during everyday life at some point or another. Americans of all backgrounds have photo id regardless of their race or ethnicity for the most part. If you want to drive a car, get on a plane, purchase alcohol, or go to a doctor, you need to have an id. It doesn’t matter what minority, age, or social circumstances you come from, almost everyone has an id and if they don’t they can purchase one. The right to vote is not a privilege, however, the requirement to show up with an id isn’t something set up to stop people. “Eleven percent of the population, or roughly 21 million people, do not have a government-issued photo identification document” (“Rourke, p.104). This statement can be easily misunderstood because it is ambiguous. There are 318 million people in the country, that is an overwhelming majority of people who made the effort to go and get an id. Lee also doesn’t inform us who is included in this population of 21