Voter ID Side Effects

Sure, the voter ID bill passed by the state Legislature and headed to the eager row of pens on Gov. Scott Walker's signing desk will add costs and hassle to the electoral process, but it also has a few other side-effects too.

First and foremost, we get free IDs!

That's right, the government can't charge you a fee for voting, as stated in Amendment 24 of the U.S. Constitution - prohibition of poll taxes. So if you must have a government-issued photo ID to vote, you cannot be forced to pay for one.

DesperateInRI wrote:The ACLU will step in on that one. It won't hold up in Federal Court. All that was abolished under the "Jim Crow" poll tax law in the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

All the state is going to do is waste money in legal fees! I hope it does go to the Supreme Court - the precedent will be set so no other states will even think about doing such a stupid thing.

In a way what they are doing is a poll tax. A lot of states won't issue state ID's or renew drivers' licenses if you owe back taxes. RI just started doing it a couple years ago.

americatheneedy wrote:If the Id's are made free and you can get one regardless of money you owe the government, then I think it is a great idea. But they definately need to make sure those conditions are met. It will prevent illegals from voting and they shouldn't be voting.