Hey Everyone!! :-)
Today, I'd like to share a story about something that happened during a time I volunteered with a local group that's working to help get more people registered to vote. One of the things the GOP does to keep people from voting is institute voter ID laws. And the argument is always that getting the IDs isn't a problem for people who are qualified to vote, I've even heard some Democrats make this argument. Earlier this year, I had an up-close, if anecdotal, view of why that argument is bullshit, and I'd like to share. I'll apologize in advance for the length.
The group I volunteer with organized to help get people registered and prepared to vote. Part of this effort is helping people get the necessary IDs. Most people use their driver's licenses, some people use their passports, a few use military IDs, but there are quite a few people who don't have any of those. And, for them, state IDs that are obtained through the DMV are often the best option.
I live in a rural area, so you'd think most people of voting age would be drivers. But, like many rural parts of the US, it's also a rather poor area. And cars require money to purchase and maintain, obtain fuel for, keep insured, and pay all the licensing and registration fees. And there are more than a few adults of voting age who just don't have that money. As a result, some of them opt not to obtain a driver's license either, as that also costs money.
So, earlier this week, I ferried three of those people to the DMV to get state ID cards so they could vote. One of them was a young man whose license has been suspended due to his inability to pay back his student loans. A suspended license is not a valid voter ID...don't ask me the logic behind that, it escapes me. Another of the people was a gentleman who suffers from a seizure disorder, and so is ineligible to drive. And my third passenger was an elderly lady who marched on DC with MLK and heard his I Have a Dream speech in person. She's legally blind now, which is why she doesn't have a driver's license, but she tells the most amazing, first-hand stories about the civil rights movement.
The nearest DMV that hasn't been shut down due to "budget cuts" is almost 30 miles away, so not remotely within walking distance. My first two passengers were able to prove their identities to the satisfaction of the DMV clerk relatively easily with their social security cards and birth certificates. The group I volunteer with covered the cost of the IDs, which took care of that hurdle. So it took only one trip for them and about 2 hours to get their voter IDs. Of course, 2 hours in the middle of the day in the middle of the week isn't a luxury every member of the working poor has, but at least it worked out for these two guys.
My third passenger had a harder time, however. In her life, she has married several times, divorced, been widowed, and moved repeatedly. On our first trip to the DMV, she was informed that she couldn't receive a state ID because the name on the piece of mail she brought to prove residency didn't match the name on her birth certificate or social security cards. She was informed she would need her marriage licenses, all of them, in order to prove her identity.
So, after I dropped the two guys off, I took this lady home and offered to help her try to find the paperwork, if she wanted my help. She did. Being legally blind, she is unable to read and wouldn't have been able to find what she needed without someone to help her. Her family was at work, which is why they hadn't driven her to begin with. We're neighbors and already knew each other casually, so she allowed me to help her.
After searching through several boxes of papers, we managed to find all the marriage licenses. But before going all the way back to the DMV, we decided to call to make sure there wasn't anything else she would need. The answer? She would have to come in before they could answer her.
So, back to the DMV we went. It was early afternoon by this point, so the lines were longer. But her number was finally called and she took all her papers up to the window, only to be told she still hadn't sufficiently proven her identity.
After her second divorce, this lady went back to using her maiden name. So, the name on her third marriage license didn't match her name from her second marriage license. The fact that it matched the name on her social security card and birth certificate was apparently irrelevant. But it took a 20-minute consultation and two supervisors to determine this, and to conclude that the only possible remedy was for her to present her divorce decree from her second divorce where her name was changed back to her maiden name.
So, I took her back home again. At this point, I figured she'd be tired and want to finish this another day since there's plenty of time before the election. But I had forgotten who I was dealing with. A lady who went all the way to Washington, DC to fight for her rights wasn't going to let a couple of overly officious bureaucrats keep her from voting.
Back to the boxes we went and found the desired divorce decree -- we also put the boxes in the car in case anything else was needed -- and back to the DMV we went. The lines had dwindled a bit, and her number was called after a few minutes. The name trail was finally established to the satisfaction of even the fussiest clerk, and she got her state ID card. In the words of the lady herself, hallelujah!
But what this experience really drove home for me was a. Groups like the local one are obviously desperately needed if we're going to achieve maximum voter engagement without first overhauling the entire system. And, b. Even with such groups, how many people won't be able to jump through these kinds of hoops to get something they'll only use once or twice a year? I mean, it literally took all day, between the driving back and forth and waiting in line. Imagine trying to make that treck three times using public transportation. And this lady is retired, how many people with jobs can't devote an entire day to dealing with bureaucracy? And how many people with disabilities aren't able to get the help they need to find the things they need to satisfy the requirements for these IDs?
Of course, you know this affects women most because we tend to change our names more often than men. And the obstacles are, naturally, harder for poor people to overcome. Again, I'm sorry for the long post, but this is a real problem for many voters, and I just thought it was important to draw attention to it. I was against these ID laws before this experience, but now I'm making it one of the issues I write and call my elected representatives about, periodically. I hope you'll all do some research on these laws, and maybe consider doing the same. Peace!
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