Senate Republicans finally called Democrats’ bluff on voter ID – and the left-wing lawmakers performed precisely as everyone would likely expect. They have long opposed strict photo ID requirements for in-person voting – never mind proof of citizenship when registering to vote. But amid the weeks-long battle over the SAVE America Act, Senate Democrats have, in various public statements, appeared to soften – or, perhaps, to backpedal – on that stance. Presumably for the sake of seeming like the more reasonable party in the argument, some have recently said they don’t oppose voter ID, per se, just the strict proposals – and unrelated measures – in the SAVE America Act.
Senate Republicans put forth an amendment on Thursday, March 26, that required only a photo ID for in-person voting, clearly defined as any government-issued photo ID. They made allowances for people without such identification to fill out a “provisional” ballot that would be verified later. Democrats opposed it to a man, 53-47, tanking the measure. Well, so much for sticking to the reasonable argument!
Voter ID Ain’t So Bad…
Some deflect by saying they already have voter ID in most states, and that’s enough. Others offer vague assurances that it’s about voter suppression, not proof of identity, and say they’re for voter ID – under very specific and special conditions, of course. Either way, it seems to be an obfuscation. When it came right down to it, Democrats all stood firm against even the bare-bones basic version of a national requirement for voter ID.
“Our objection as Democrats is not a photo ID," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters earlier this month. “Our objection is a voter suppression bill.” When asked if he would be willing to negotiate on the topic, Schumer vaguely answered: "You’d have to define it clearly and properly and easily.”
Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) decided to test that claim. He introduced an amendment that, if passed, wouldn’t require registrants to show proof of citizenship, would require showing a photo ID at the polls, and wouldn’t result in voter roll purges. A valid, non-expired driver’s license, a state non-driver’s license photo ID, a military photo ID, a passport, or a photo ID issued by a tribal government would all have been accepted. Even without ID, one could still fill out a provisional ballot to be counted and verified once ID is verified.
But Democrats were having none of it.
How Democrats Really Feel About It
The SAVE America Act is chock full of items Democrats were never going to support, even if they did want voter ID. Requiring proof of citizenship is simply racism, as far as they’re concerned. And automatically purging voter rolls or allowing the Department of Homeland Security to monitor registrations, they say, could disenfranchise millions of Americans.
In truth, Democrats never wanted voter ID.
In 2019, Democrats introduced the For the People Act. This would have effectively overridden strict ID laws in many states by instituting a national requirement that states allow those without ID to use “sworn affidavits” in their place. So, in other words, no need to show a photo – just promise you aren’t lying, and that’s good enough.
Then came the Freedom to Vote Act, which would have also allowed sworn affidavits as an alternative to photo ID, along with many other documents, such as witness statements and utility bills. Additionally, provisional ballots could be cast without any form of voter ID, and they would still be counted.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has been introduced every year by Democrats since it first appeared, would have subjected voter ID laws in jurisdictions with a “history of discrimination” to increased scrutiny and easier – and therefore likely more frequent – legal challenge.
In short, while many Democrats have claimed not to oppose a photo ID requirement of some kind, in truth, they have fought tooth and nail – often quite subtly – to find ways around it. The untimely death of Mr. Husted’s amendment merely exposes the truth.
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