While much of the left-wing chattering class has slightly backed off the “Voter ID is Racist” narrative, it seems some are still intent on pretending that showing identification to vote is somehow too challenging a feat for black Americans to accomplish. Politico published a frantic piece on Monday, July 26, decrying the voting law Georgia passed earlier this year, claiming it would disenfranchise scores of black voters. But, as is typical for the left-wing intelligentsia, there were enormous craters in their argument.
Politico Melts Down Over Voting Law
The piece written by media activists Maya King, David Siders, and Daniel Lippman suggested Georgia’s ID requirement for mail-in ballots could somehow prevent an enormous number of people from voting. The authors wrote:
“The state’s new voter I.D. requirement for mail-in ballots could affect the more than 270,000 Georgians lacking identification. The provision cutting the number of ballot drop boxes could affect hundreds of thousands of voters who cast absentee ballots that way in 2020 — and that’s just in the populous Atlanta suburbs alone.”
According to Politico, Democrats are deeply concerned about voting laws “in other states where similarly restrictive voting laws have passed.” Through a series of interviews with dozens of Democratic Party officials, the authors learned that “elected officials, party operatives and voting rights activists across the country reveal a growing concern – bordering on alarm – about the potential impact in 2022 of the raft of new laws passed by Republican legislatures.”
(Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
However, as Newsbusters observed – at least in the case of Georgia – Democrats might be misinterpreting the numbers. The media watchdog noted that Politico did not disclose where they got the 270,000 figure, but speculated it likely came from an article published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. According to that story, more than 272,000 registered voters do not possess a driver’s license or state ID on file with election officials. This would mean they would have to submit additional documentation to cast a vote. However, there are three problems with how this number is being used.
For starters, how do they know the 272,000 don’t actually possess identification? One can have ID without having them on file with election officials. Moreover, what evidence is there that this “additional documentation” would pose an insurmountable obstacle to voting? Lastly, there is the difficulty – or lack thereof – involved in obtaining identification. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution story also noted “free voter ID cards are available to registered voters at county election offices and through the Department of Driver Services.”
Indeed, Trey Hood, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, told AJC the effect on voters would be minimal. “The effects of these laws, at least from my research, are very, very small,” he explained. “People make adjustments if they don’t have an ID. They can get a free ID or get another kind of ID, and they vote.”
It doesn’t take much in the way of mentation to conclude the Democrats’ arguments on voter ID do not hold water. It has been shown time and time again that requiring ID does not prevent Americans – especially blacks – from voting. Many have rightly pointed out the absurdity – and racism – inherent in believing those with high melanin content are somehow unable to navigate the process of obtaining identification.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons many Democrats have backed off the voter ID issue and have focused on other areas which they claim will disproportionately impact black voters. However, there is one thing consistently absent from their narrative: Evidence. Until they manage to back up their claims, their assertions will be dead in the water.
The post Do Democrats Want to Resurrect the Voter ID Issue? was first published by Liberty Nation, and is republished here with permission. Please support their efforts.
