The Pros And Cons Of Voting Laws

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Voting laws have become a serious issue in the United States over the last two centuries. Abraham Lincoln was one of the first presidents to begin to make advancements in reference to voting laws. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, also known as the Reconstruction amendments, were adopted during the late 1860s. They promoted the suffrage of all male citizens regardless of class or race (Foner). Almost 50 years later during the 1920s, female suffrage was finally granted to all American women when President Warren G. Harding ratified the 19th Amendment and granted them the right to vote (“Voting”). At this time in history, the nation’s brave men had just won World War I, and the home efforts of the war were placed in women’s hands, and they …show more content…
Voter ID laws are implemented for the purpose of preventing instances of voter fraud through the confirmation of the voter’s identity either by photo or proof of citizenship and residence; they stop any instance of “double voting” in which a voter may go to several polling places under different aliases. In North and South Carolina, a voter may be exempt from most ID laws under special circumstances, such as handicaps or disabilities, poverty, differing religious views, loss of ID due to natural disaster or a similar event, or even domestic abuse. Other states similarly exempt voters from providing identification given a reason, but do not accept all of the circumstances that North and South Carolina do (Legislatures). Other forms of voter ID include showing utility bills or bank statements. If none of these are on hand, the voter would need to go through additional steps to ensure that their vote would be counted (Underhill). A temporary or provisional ballot can be filled out when no ID is presented at the time or if the form of identification does not show all the necessary information, but if no ID is ever presented, the provisional ballot is annulled (Smith). As well, to be sure our new adults can vote, all first time voters who registered online are required to show ID to prove that they are of age to vote, even if they may fall under some of …show more content…
Minority voters can feel targeted by voter ID laws, as 21 million Americans do not have proper voter identification; 25% of African Americans, 16% Latino Americans, and six million elderly citizens do not own the proper and accepted forms of identification, therefore are underrepresented in states that demand identification (ACLU). Theses voter ID laws, as seen in states such as Tennessee, affect the representation of minority voters because their vote would be denied if they could not present identification within a few days of submitting a provisional ballot (Douglas). Those living rurally do not have easy access to DMVs to get voter IDs, and low income families may find it difficult to decide between paying for an ID or eating. The often limited mobility of the elderly makes it difficult for them to make several trips to go through an extended voting process. A group of elderly nuns were not allowed to vote in the primary election because they did not have proper ID, despite having a history of voting because they lacked identification (ACLU). As a part of the senior citizen minority that cannot mobilize themselves easily, the voter identification requirements made it difficult for the nuns to have their voice be heard in the election. The disenfranchisement of minority groups affects their
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