# SC voter ID law shot down
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [December 23, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222 "2011-12-23T22:42:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/1 "2011-12-23T22:42:28Z")
I’m posting this in the Elections forum, because it’s about voting.
South Carolina’s new voter ID law was shut down by the Justice Department today; it seems that South Carolina has a past history of disenfranchising minorities.
[
> [@](#):
>
> The Justice Department on Friday rejected South Carolina’s law requiring voters to show photo identification, saying the law makes it harder for minorities to vote.
>
> Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said the law didn’t meet the burden under the Voting Rights Act and tens of thousands of minorities in South Carolina might not be unable to cast ballots under the law.
]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_VOTER\_ID\_SOUTH\_CAROLINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-12-23-17-03-31](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOTER_ID_SOUTH_CAROLINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-12-23-17-03-31))
I think it’s the correct move, even if SC did not have a history of failing to protect voting rights.
---
### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/2 "2011-12-23T22:47:19Z")
“tens of thousands of minorities in South Carolina **might not be unable to cast ballots** under the law.”
Ummm…so Mr. Perez thinks minorities should be unable to cast ballots?
---
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/3 "2011-12-24T06:04:55Z")
Some don’t vote even less.
---
### Author:  [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/4 "2011-12-24T07:34:41Z")
> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> “tens of thousands of minorities in South Carolina **might not be unable to cast ballots** under the law.”
>
> Ummm…so Mr. Perez thinks minorities should be unable to cast ballots?
It was either a typo on the OP’s part or the original article had it, but has since been corrected.
> [@AP](#):
>
> Tens of thousands of minorities in South Carolina might not be able to cast ballots under South Carolina’s law because they don’t have the right photo ID, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez said.
---
### Author:  [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/5 "2011-12-24T16:35:16Z")
It always amuses me how some people rail against voter ID laws. I mean, you need an ID to buy cigarettes and booze, for God’s sake, so why not to vote?
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/6 "2011-12-24T16:54:53Z")
I’m gonna go with “because cigarettes and booze aren’t constitutional rights” for $1000, Jack.
---
### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/7 "2011-12-24T17:09:26Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> It always amuses me how some people rail against voter ID laws. I mean, you need an ID to buy cigarettes and booze, for God’s sake, so why not to vote?
Because cigarettes and booze are not guranteed by the Constitution.
---
### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/8 "2011-12-24T17:17:19Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> It always amuses me how some people rail against voter ID laws. I mean, you need an ID to buy cigarettes and booze, for God’s sake, so why not to vote?
Because large segments of the population currently don’t have IDs and have been voting.
So by demanding it, you have large groups of people who suddenly can’t vote. If anything we should make it easier to vote. I’d prefer universal citizen registration, myself.
---
### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/9 "2011-12-24T17:17:46Z")
\*\*OMG \*\*only likes certain parts of the constitution.
---
### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/10 "2011-12-24T18:43:24Z")
This bears repeating often these days for some odd reason so here goes:
\*\*Because the right to vote is guaranteed in the constitution.
Buying cigarettes, alcohol, driving or any of the other things frequently brought up in these arguments aren’t constitutionally guaranteed.\*\*
How many more times until this sinks in?
---
### Author:  [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/11 "2011-12-24T18:51:48Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> It always amuses me how some people rail against voter ID laws. I mean, you need an ID to buy cigarettes and booze, for God’s sake, so why not to vote?
Must be a sad life where booze and cigarettes just as important as voting.
---
### Author:  [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/12 "2011-12-24T19:35:13Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> This bears repeating often these days for some odd reason so here goes:
>
> \*\*Because the right to vote is guaranteed in the constitution.
>
> Buying cigarettes, alcohol, driving or any of the other things frequently brought up in these arguments aren’t constitutionally guaranteed.\*\*
>
> How many more times until this sinks in?
Umm…I’m going with “never,” Alex.
Nobody really believes that argument (equating booze and voting), anyway. It’s so obviously a red herring.
---
### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/13 "2011-12-24T23:04:54Z")
> [@Kolga](#):
>
> Umm…I’m going with “never,” Alex.
>
> Nobody really believes that argument (equating booze and voting), anyway. It’s so obviously a red herring.
Oh now you know I knew the answer. I just think we should repeat that pesky little fact until people drop the comparison. Maybe then they will acknowledge what their real objection is.
---
### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/14 "2011-12-24T23:36:02Z")
OMG - how about some cites as to the lack of voter ID being a real problem? Eg, widespread fraud that has resulted in skewed elections?
Seems like the voter ID requirement drive is solving for a problem that doesn’t exist, or it’s trying to reduce the eligible voters that tend to vote more Democratic Party.
---
### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/15 "2011-12-24T23:49:32Z")
Plus people who feel so strongly about it could always do what we do here, and actually make your voter registration BE a picture ID, issued AT NO COST TO THE VOTER.
> [@Lobohan](#):
>
> I’d prefer universal citizen registration, myself.
Except then they’d propose that you should go to the polling place with your proof of citizenship. Preferrably the long-form original.
---
### Author:  [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/16 "2011-12-25T00:40:07Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> Oh now you know I knew the answer. I just think we should repeat that pesky little fact until people drop the comparison. Maybe then they will acknowledge what their real objection is.
Oh, I know you knew 😉 I just think that moronicity should be pointed out whenever possible.
I think the objection is either that they can’t fathom why a person might legitimately not have a form of photo ID, or that they know why some people (mostly poor) might not, and it’s a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise those people.
---
### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/17 "2011-12-25T03:21:28Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#):
>
> Seems like the voter ID requirement drive is solving for a problem that doesn’t exist, …
Yep, it’s a solution in search of a problem. A problem that given the lack of convicitions for people illegally voting, frankly, just doesn’t exist.
---
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/18 "2011-12-25T03:55:56Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> It always amuses me how some people rail against voter ID laws. I mean, you need an ID to buy cigarettes and booze, for God’s sake, so why not to vote?
For booze and smokes, as far as I know, you only need ID if the clerk thinks you look like you might be under 21 (or 18, or whatever the legal age is). What’s the voting equivalent - the elections officer thinking you look like you might not be a citizen? That you might be a felon?
Heck, up here the polling stations have the alphabetized names of all the voters registered in that riding. Go to the appropriate desk, give your name and possibly your address, they look it up, cross you off the list, hand you a ballot. I always have a driver’s license ready, but I don’t recall that last time I was asked for it, if ever. While it’s _possible_ somebody could impersonate someone else, or falsely register a name, it’s apparently not enough of a problem to justify tighter security.
Basically, we’re less eager to seek out and punish the “wrong” people around here. We’re less paranoid that somebody will get away with something. We wouldn’t rail against voter ID laws - we just consider them unnecessary.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/19 "2011-12-25T04:22:54Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> We’re less paranoid that somebody will get away with something.
The only people here getting away with anything are Republican lawmakers who keep making laws like this that disproportionately disadvantage historically Democratic voters.
---
### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222/20 "2011-12-25T17:34:49Z")
The law is constituional under _Crawford_.
The Justice Department can do this to South Carolina, but not to, say Minnesota – or Indiana.
The state can challenge this in federal court, they intend to, and I’ll take anyone’s bet here, up to, say, $500 total, that the Justice Department’s decision will be reversed.
Any takers?
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-voter-id-law-shot-down/607222.md?page=2)