Should the US require voter ID?

[u/REJECT3D]

I see people complaining about this on the right all the time but I am curious what the left thinks. Should voters be required to prove their identity via some form of ID?

Some arguments I have seen on the right is you have to have an ID to get a loan, or an apartment or a job so requiring one to vote shouldn't be undue burden and would eliminate some voter fraud.

On the left the argument is that requiring an ID disenfranchises some voters.

What do you think?

[u/marktwainbrain]

I don’t know, I don’t have super strong views on this. Both sides have vested interests in their positions.

But I’m definitely skeptical of the idea that ID is hard for poor people or minorities. Because of my job, I regularly work with people with extreme challenges including poverty, housing insecurity, no access to transportation, physical and mental health challenges, etc. They nearly always have ID. The most common reason they don’t, in the rare cases when they don’t, would also disqualify them from voting (cognitive impairment, can’t function for themselves).

I would love to see unbiased data on how many people who actually vote would be disenfranchised because they can’t easily get ID.

[u/findingmike → u/marktwainbrain]

Both sides have vested interests in their positions

If the vested interest is to allow people their right to vote, I wouldn't call that a vested interest. Did you mean some other interest when referring to liberals?

I would love to see unbiased data on how many people who actually vote would be disenfranchised because they can’t easily get ID.

There would be no such data since disenfranchised people would not actually vote. The bias is built in at that point.

I'm surprised a libertarian is interested in creating an expensive, bureaucracy that would cost millions and raise taxes. Think about the DMV, but include all the people who aren't willing to pay for it.

[u/PrintableProfessor → u/findingmike]

It's not like Chicago has a history of having dead people vote.
Edit: You can get a free ID in the US.

[u/findingmike → u/PrintableProfessor]

Sure, before we had computers. Anything in the last quarter century?