Ally Daskalopoulos
Part of the beauty of America is the ability for citizens to vote. The fact that the public has the opportunity for their voice to be heard is remarkable, and may not seem like a big deal today, but it surely was, over a hundred years ago.
The ratification of the fifteenth amendment was life changing for African Americans back in 1870. It became even more justified when the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. Women achieved the right to vote thanks to the nineteenth amendment, and the exemplary courage and determined attitudes of powerful women.
Today, there has been recent debate about voting restrictions and whether citizens should provide voter identification when they choose to cast their vote. If you think about it, there are restrictions on almost everything.
For example, it is necessary to attain a proper education and fulfill certain requirements for specific employment positions, you must be 21 in order to consume alcohol, you must be 18 years old to vote and you even need to be a certain age to drive a car. These laws and criteria come into play for good reason.
Laws were not implemented to make freedom more difficult to attain or to make our lives difficult. There is sound reasoning behind restrictions and regulations, which come with the intent to protect and receive the best possible outcome.
Verifying voter identification and requiring a voter-ID law is both necessary and beneficial to the outcome of an election, and for the protection of society as a whole.
According to Transunion.com, every minute 19 people are affected by identity theft. Ask yourself, would you really want your identity stolen from voting?
Without enforcing voter identification laws, we are participating in something that is our God given American right, but at the same time putting ourselves at risk for identity theft. An issue such as this seems elementary to me, with no wiggle room whatsoever.
As a citizen of the United States, a registered voter and consumer, I would undoubtedly take the time to verify my identity when going to cast a vote. If I want my voice heard, even if it is indirect, I would like to ensure that it is I voting, and not someone else.
The requirements to receive a drivers’ license or state ID are quite simple. The voyage to the DMV may not be the highlight of your day, but confirming your proof of birth, proof of address, social security number and signature is not difficult.
If you are not a citizen of the United States you cannot vote, simple as that. If you do not choose to identify yourself with the United States, then I see no reason why your voice should be heard in regards to our political candidates. Confirming that you are a U.S citizen and resident takes all of 30 seconds; presenting a valid ID is as simple as wearing a name tag. It’s either “Hello, my name is John Doe,” or nothing.
I realize that gaining a certain number of votes when you’re running for a position is vital to even be considered for re-election. But if I were running, I would rather lose by valid votes from registered voters than win with a number of votes that have been cast by an unconfirmed, questionable population.
Consider the innumerable safeguards that exist to authorize various other things. Why not protect one of our most sacred privileges? People lose their lives in other countries because they dare to vote, but here we want to question the simple act of confirming who we are. Next time you want your voice to be heard, why not make sure it’s yours?