kane

Until recently I would have agreed with you, but I have actually recently gone through this with my mom.

Here is the problem. The issue is one of photo Id and available documents and cost of getting said items.

My mom was born at home in Illinois in 1940. It wasn't intended that way, but her dad was at work, mom went into labor and by the time dad got home to take her to the hospital she was on the way so she was born in the living room. Since she was not born in a hospital there wasn't an automatic issuing of a birth certificate. When my mom was six months old her family moved to Florida and then they lived in a few different states over the next few years as her dad looked for work. Her parents finally filed to get her birth certificate, but had to do everything via mail and my mom really has no idea where they filed this. She has never had a copy of her birth certificate.

For 65 years everything was fine. She had gotten credit cards, bought houses, cars, had jobs, got a drivers license and lived a typical life with her social security card/number being enough ID. Recently her drivers license expired. A few years prior to this she had stopped driving all together so it wasn't a big deal. She is disabled and has a very difficult time getting around so the DMV sent her a form that will allow her to get a non-photo ID through the mail which she did.

Now, if this voter bill were to be passed in our state she would not be able to vote because she doesn't have the proper photo ID. She can't get a photo ID because the state will not issue one without seeing a birth certificate and she has no real idea where to go about getting that. I would imagine I could send emails and do some searching and eventually find where she could do this, but there is no guarantee. Even if I do find the place there will be costs. The ID in this state will cost her $45. It would likely cost about $20 for her birth certificate. So my mom will have to pay $65 or more for the sole purpose of having the proper ID to vote with. She has been voting since she was 20 years old, now suddenly, after 50 years she would have to pay for that right. For someone like her who is on medicaid and lives in an assisted living center, that is a lot of money. Sure, in her case my brother and I would pay it for her, but there are a decent number of people who don't have that option.

Voter fraud is almost non-existent in this country. These laws are strictly put in place by republicans to limit the number of votes cast which helps them win elections.