Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Why Do Some States Allow Voting Without Any Identification?

Robert McGreevy published an article at MSN.com with interesting information. He began his article by stating that 18 of the 19 states won by Vice President Kamala Harris do not “require voters to show photo identification to vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). 

McGreevy continued with other interesting numbers. Only 36 of the 50 U.S. states “require voters to provide some form of identification to cast a ballot, according to the NCSL. Of these, 12 do not require a photo ID.”

Numerous states have different provisions. New Hampshire allows voters to cast a normal ballot without identification but require but requires them to sign a “challenged voter affidavit” before casting a ballot. After the election, a form is sent to them is requires signature and return; if the form is not returned, “the voter will be investigated for voter fraud.”

Harris won Rhode Island, the only such state that allows a voter to vote without an ID, but they cast a provisional ballot. The signature is then matched with a signature on record.

Trump won Nevada and Pennsylvania, the “only states in which no ID is required to vote that Harris lost.” Trump also won Iowa, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Utah, “states that merely request an ID to vote, though it is not required.”

Harris won 12 states – California, Oregon, New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Maryland – that “require no document to vote, according to the NCSL.”

Harris won five other states – Colorado, Washington, Delaware, Connecticut, and Virginia – that require ID but not a photo ID.” Colorado and Washington “hold all elections by mail.” Therefore, “there limited ID laws only affect in-person voters.”

These are just some of the numbers given in the McGreevy article. I do not understand states that require no identification to vote, one of the most sacred duties given to Americans. In a world where identification is required for so many other activities – medical appointments, flying, entering a federal building, obtaining credit, and many other regular and normal activities in America, why do states allow voting to take place without identification?

 

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