The ability to vote in elections is the right of every American citizen. There are, however, requirements citizens are to meet in order to actually vote. In some states, providing a photo ID is one of these requirements. Is this asking too much of the American citizen? In this paper, I will be analyzing two articles, “Voter ID Laws Protect the Integrity of Our Democracy” by Hans A. Von Spakovsky and “Voter ID Laws Are Designed to Keep People From Voting” by Wendy Weiser. Both articles address whether or not photo ID should be required when voting. While I believe that photo ID should be required when voting, I also think that it should be easier for American citizens to obtain photo ID in order to vote. In the article “Voter ID Laws Protect
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According to her, one out of ten eligible voters in the United States do not have their own photo ID. Eighteen percent of those are people are elderly, another eighteen percent are young adults, and twenty-five percent are African-Americans. This calls into question the fairness of our laws if they are denying people a right given to them by the Constitution. In this article, Weiser uses a woman named Viviette Applewhite as an example. Applewhite is ninety-two years of age, was a welder during the Vietnam war, and was active in the Civil Rights Movement. Despite her legitimate citizenship, she is denied the right to obtaining a photo ID due to the fact that officials are unable to locate her birth certificate. Weiser believes that laws like the voter ID laws not only make circumstances like Applewhite’s that much more unfortunate but that there may be an ulterior motive behind the laws themselves. That these laws are not for preventing corruption, but from preventing those who are more likely to vote Democrat, such as minorities and young people, from voting. According to a report cited by Weiser, seven hundred and fifty-eight thousand registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have the correct ID required to vote. Weiser also cites an article that predicts that new strict ID laws could affect millions of potential voters, making it harder to do
According to her, one out of ten eligible voters in the United States do not have their own photo ID. Eighteen percent of those are people are elderly, another eighteen percent are young adults, and twenty-five percent are African-Americans. This calls into question the fairness of our laws if they are denying people a right given to them by the Constitution. In this article, Weiser uses a woman named Viviette Applewhite as an example. Applewhite is ninety-two years of age, was a welder during the Vietnam war, and was active in the Civil Rights Movement. Despite her legitimate citizenship, she is denied the right to obtaining a photo ID due to the fact that officials are unable to locate her birth certificate. Weiser believes that laws like the voter ID laws not only make circumstances like Applewhite’s that much more unfortunate but that there may be an ulterior motive behind the laws themselves. That these laws are not for preventing corruption, but from preventing those who are more likely to vote Democrat, such as minorities and young people, from voting. According to a report cited by Weiser, seven hundred and fifty-eight thousand registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have the correct ID required to vote. Weiser also cites an article that predicts that new strict ID laws could affect millions of potential voters, making it harder to do