'The war on voting is a war on women'

Submitted by Mastodon on Sat, 2013-10-19 18:35

Article here. Excerpt:

'The assault on voting rights is a naked attempt to suppress the votes of minorities, students, the elderly, and the poor. But don’t be fooled. This War on Voting is an essential part of the War on Women.

Nowhere is that clearer than in the recent wave of efforts to disenfranchise voters through strict voter identification laws, limits on early voting, and elimination of same-day voter registration across the country. And since the Supreme Court’s vicious undercutting of the Voting Rights Act last June in Shelby County v. Holder, we are facing even more of an onslaught.
...
What is not commonly known, however, is that women are among those most affected by voter ID laws. In one survey, 66% of women voters had an ID that reflected their current name, according to the Brennan Center. The other 34% of women would have to present both a birth certificate and proof of marriage, divorce, or name change in order to vote, a task that is particularly onerous for elderly women and costly for poor women who may have to pay to access these records.'

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Comments

... to have a valid gov't-issued ID with their actual legal name on it to confirm that they are who they say they are when voting is a "war" on them?

And to suggest it's a war that includes women specifically because they are more likely to change their legal names after marriage but not be bothered to get a new driver's license or other gov't-issued ID? The article argues that elderly or impecunious women are hindered because of either the paperwork or financial burden. I'd like to point out that there are always ways to get relief from these immediate requirements. You merely have to state your circumstances and ask for assistance. And one need not get a new driver's licence (and deal with the %#^*%! DMV); there a number of different kinds of state- and local-level IDs one can get, a Sheriff's ID to name just one, available in many counties in the US.

For lack of a better way to put it: *Anyone* regardless of economic status, ethnicity, gender, etc. who is not in today's day and age carrying an ID that is reliable is either trying to stay "hidden" or is just plain clueless. You can't get squat anyplace w/out a valid ID, nevermind voting. And what happens if, as they say, your number comes up while on about your business? With no ID, you're just another "Doe" in the city/county morgue.

Walking around w/out a valid ID or one that mistepresents your actual legal name is just plain dumb. Sorry if that offends some, but it's true.

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Submitted by Matt on Sun, 2013-10-20 13:48

Every time you open a bank account, the bank requires a valid ID. In fact, my state requires the full name on the ID be on the bank account. And if I want to cash a check on my account at the bank or withdraw money, I need an ID.

Is this too much of a burden for women? I suspect it isn't when the woman wants to deposit her alimony or child support check--and take out some cash.

In the end, this types of arguments convince me women wanted to be treated as children but with all the rights of adults.

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Submitted by el cid on Sun, 2013-10-20 14:18