| There is nothing in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that limits voting rights to drivers. |
| A recent national survey sponsored by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law reveals that millions of American citizens do not have readily available documentary proof of citizenship. Many more – primarily women – do not have proof of citizenship with their current name. The survey also showed that millions of American citizens do not have government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. Finally, the survey demonstrated that certain groups – primarily poor, elderly, and minority citizens – are less likely to possess these forms of documentation than the general population.
Source: "Citizens Without Proof: A Survey of Americans' Possession of Documentary Proof of Citizenship and Photo Identification" - Brennan Center For Justice - www.brennancenter.org - 4/18/07 It should have been easy for the Justice Department to reject [Georgia's new voter ID law, which would require voters to show government-issued photo IDs. The] law — passed earlier this year over the loud objections of most Democrats in the Georgia Legislature, who denounced it as racist. (The Voting Rights Act requires that Georgia and eight other, mostly Southern states receive "pre-clearance" from the Justice Department before they make any changes affecting voting.) A five-member team of Justice Department analysts recommended that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales object to the new voting requirements because they would discriminate against black Georgians, who are much less likely than whites to have access to automobiles. (If you don't drive, you probably don't have a driver's license to show at the polls.) The analysts pointed out that the state made no effort to show that the law would not dilute minority voting strength, as the Voting Rights Act requires. And, noting the cost of getting a state-sponsored ID, they concluded Georgians would be required to pay what amounts to a poll tax to obtain one. Source: "Bush unwilling to rein in the racists in his ranks" by Cynthia Tucker - Universal Press Syndicate - 11.29.05 |
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