By FELICIA ORTH
President
Los Alamos League of Women Voters
Delia Cruz-Murphy posed two valid and timely questions to the League of Women Voters: What is the League’s position regarding any requirement that a voter show proof of citizenship before casting a vote, and why does the League feel that such a requirement would be problematic (link)?
The League of Women Voters supports free, fair, and accessible elections for all eligible Americans, and we oppose efforts to create barriers that block citizens from fully participating in our democracy. We believe it is wrong to pass laws that deny eligible American voters an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy.
A significant part of the population is not applying for a Real ID driver’s license because they do not have plans to board a plane or enter a federal facility. Nor do they open bank accounts. Some do not even have a birth certificate. Nonetheless, they have the right to vote.
Photo IDs aren’t as common as many people assume. According to a 2023 survey, nearly 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have a current (non-expired) driver’s license. That includes nearly 15 million people who do not have a license at all. In addition, about 29 million have a license, but it does not have both their current address and current name (e.g., for a recently married woman).
Elderly and low-income voters may not have the time, financial resources, or mobility to obtain the necessary identification, and rural voters may face significant barriers to obtaining the necessary documentation due to their geographic isolation. Further, many rural and Native Americans born at home or on reservations and tribal lands lack the mandated paperwork needed to obtain a government-issued ID that fits the legal requirements to vote in some states.
We thank Ms. Cruz-Murphy for her careful thinking about the Voter ID issue and for asking these questions, which likely have also occurred to others. We are grateful for the opportunity to explain the League’s rationale for its position.