Earlier, I posted a reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to rule the VRA unconstitutional. I noted that we would have to wait and see what the reaction and effects would be. It appears that we have not had to wait long: The list of states that have enacted strict Voter ID laws include Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Virginia, South Carolina, and now North Carolina.

These Voter ID laws vary in their scope, but they are all unified by their purported intent to eliminate voter fraud from being perpetrated by ineligilble or fraudulent voters casting ballots. Critics of the Voter ID laws argue that evidence of fraud is negligible or nonexistent, the restrictions create more problems than they solve, and fundamentally make the process (and country) less democratic by reducing the number of people who can vote.

My take on this is that it is pretty transparent that the concern about fraud is a red herring. I would have no problem with instituting a Voter ID law, if it were accompanied by a comprehensive, state-organized and funded, voter registration drive. If the state made a concerted effort to register (for free) all eligible citizens and helped them obtain the documentation they needed (or provided it), then I could support a Voter ID law. WIthout this, it is fairly clear that Voter ID laws will make it more difficult for the poor to vote, as the obstacles they will need to overcome will be many.