Business Advice
is your arsenal for developing and maintaining sound financial plans and business strategy.
Inside: Budgeting | Compensation | Valuation
Free Trial: Intuit QuickBooks
Simple Start Free Edition 2009 for Windows
Departments
The Entrepreneurial Generation by Donna Fenn
May 7, 2008
Indiana's Disenfranchised Young Voters
Posted at 5:48 PM
The Center for Information on Civic Learning and Engagement (Circle) reports that “at least 20 percent of eligible Indiana citizens and 15 percent of North Carolina citizens under the age of 30 participated in last night’s Democratic primary.” Obama was the big winner among these voters: 74% voted for him in North Carolina and 62% supported him in Indiana. But how many young voters were turned away from the polls in Indiana yesterday because of that state’s ridiculously restrictive photo ID law, which was recently upheld by the Supreme Court? Given Senator Clinton’s narrow margin of victory, I wonder how the evening would have ended if everyone with a Constitutional right to vote had been allowed to do so!
Try a RISK-FREE Issue of Inc. Today!
Select Services
- Home |
- Contact Us |
- About Us |
- Subscribe |
- Advertise Online |
- Legal Disclaimers |
- Media Kits |
- Press |
- Privacy Statement
Copyright © 2009 Mansueto Ventures LLC. All rights reserved. Inc.com, 7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007-2195
Mansueto Digital Network: Inc.com | FastCompany.com | IncBizNet.com | IncTechnology.com | FastCompany.tv
If any of these young were turned away then they failed to read or understand the fact that the LAW allows them to vote, and then asks simply that they show up at a local government office within a few days to prove their identity. If they can't understand then, then they probably shouldn't be voting; voting is a responsibility and a right.
I think it's ridiculous that someone would find an ID requirement to be a hardship. It's simple - if you having voting rights in this country, then you should be able to produce an ID that verifies it. It's not that hard...
An ID requirement is not typically a hardship, but it is in Indiana, which has the strictest voter ID law in the country. Your ID has to be issued either by the state of Indiana or the U.S. governement. That means an in-state driver license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID or U.S. Passport. College students with valid out-of-state licenses and local college IDs were turned away from the polls. And yes, you can vote with a provisional ballet, but you still need to produce one of the above IDs within ten days if you want your vote to count. There's nothing "simple" about the process and that's my point exactly. You shouldn't have to work so hard to cast a vote. (footnote: my daughter, a NY resident and college student in New Orleans, cast her fist vote ever in the Louisiana primary and it couldn't have been easier). And btw, laws like this don't just impact young voters; they also can prevent the elderly, the poor, and minorities from voting.
It's easy if you already have ID. It won't be easy when people who don't have ID are all trying to get supporting documents and IDs at the same time.
I've lived in Indiana before, and no, it's actually not that difficult. College students who want to vote but aren't registered in the county of their college can complete an absentee ballot for their home district. The point is, if you want to vote, it can be done relatively easily.
I wonder if the people who have commented are in this generation? I am and I know many of my friends who would turn away from voting or forget to return in ten days with the required material. The end point is that if their ID is not acceptable they have to get a new one. Which means taking off work or missing class for a full day to bother with the DMV. Just to make sure the ID says William instead of Will. Yes, there are many people whose names vary from their government issue ID's. My name on my SS & Birth Cert are differnt from my driver's lisc. My mother still has her madien name on some ID. I am at a lost for those who do not see the problem.
Which brings us to the bigger problem, people who expect to be able to go through life without proper ID. We are one of the only nations on the planet that doesn't require IDs for its citizens, and permanent residents. It is not only a voter fraud issue, it is a national security issue. The constitution does not provide a right to anonymity.
I remember the life of a student, which seems to be the focus of this blog, and struggle with the idea that they don't have a spare 2 hours in the course of week. That they don't want to be bothered, doesn't surprise me a bit. However, its not wrong to ask students to grow up.
The Constitution does provide a right to anonymity: all powers not explicitly granted to the federal government are reserved to the States or to the people. The Constitution was meant to limit government, not to limit people. We should be asking what gives the government the right to spy on its citizens, because that's exactly what it is when you force people to "carry their papers".
Read about the Real ID act which is being implemented as we argue this, and tell me with a straight face you think it is a good thing.
Post Your Own Comments