We all grow up hearing common sayings, things we are expected to believe. Widely held beliefs carry a lot of weight and are often necessary and helpful. Haste makes waste. Patience is a virtue. But these days, many people are waking up to the fact that popular mantras about our elections, which so many so-called experts want us to accept, just aren’t so.

• Part 1 of this series, called into question the assumption that it is desirable to make voting easy and convenient.

• Part 2, showed that universal vote by mail is actually not wonderful, and

• Part 3, debunked the myth that simply living here gives you the right to vote.

In this article, we take on the claim that requiring voter ID, especially photo voter ID, amounts to voter suppression.

Words are powerful, word choices matter, and repetition becomes reality. Progressives, the media and other activists strategically use the word “suppression” to gloss over the fact that some people should simply not be voting. Many people lack the constitutional right to vote, including non-citizens, people under the age of 18 and those who are not registered.

The deeper goal behind brandishing the word “suppression” is to shut down all rational conversation. To suppress means to prevent something from being seen, expressed, or operating. It implies action and intention, and is typically bad. It rules out a positive intent, or any effort to ensure that officials conduct our elections legally and according to the Constitution.

Invoking the word “suppression” manipulates the hearer into thinking that any action that ensures voting is limited to eligible voters is insidious and intentionally dishonest. That premise is transparently false, but the word choice subtly communicates the message in a way that subverts honest discussion.

In modern societies people must produce photo ID for so many different activities. This includes buying a house, renting an apartment, opening a bank account, cashing a check, purchasing alcohol, cigarettes, or firearms, renting a car or entering certain buildings, to name a few. In other words, to function at all in today’s society, people need a photo ID. There is never an objection; the requirement makes too much common sense.

The purpose of photo ID is to confirm

the verifiable identity of an individual.

And yet the mantra exists that the one place requiring photo ID would be a horrendous miscarriage of justice and violation of equal access is at the polls.

The sacred right to vote, which is limited to eligible U.S. citizens, cannot be safeguarded without requiring people to show their ID.

Presenting proof of identity helps avoid impersonation and ensures that our elected representatives are chosen by only those individuals with the constitutional right to vote.

The most often repeated argument from those opposing reasonable voter ID requirements is that such a mandate suppresses the minority vote. They assert that members of minority groups are less likely to have a photo ID, and are unable to obtain one. Thus, requiring it to vote is “racist.”

Just making that statement is blatantly racist.

All minority individuals should be incensed by the very notion that they are not equally capable of something every 16-year-old can accomplish in 15 minutes at the DMV.

There is no state with a voter ID requirement that does not provide free-of-charge services for those who may have challenges acquiring their birth certificate or other form of evidence needed to acquire the mandated photo ID.

The claim that the vote of any category of individuals

would be suppressed “just ain’t so!!”

The people of California and the nation heartily agree that reliable voter ID is a necessity. Polls across all political, ethnic and socio-economic groupings show a support of 75% - 80%.

But victory in the opinion polls accomplishes nothing. We the People must ACT to put strong photo voter ID policies in place in every state.

Let’s Get It Done!

Please stay tuned for Part 5 of this series, It Just Ain’t So

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It Just Ain’t So Part 4 of 6 - Voter ID is Voter Suppression!     ©Election Integrity Project®California, Inc. copyrighted 2023