THE ACORN: Voter ID laws are an impediment

A member of VoteRiders’ Board of Directors responds to the Jan. 23 Acorn letter advocating for adding new voter ID laws to California elections as a safeguard against fraud.

As a member of VoteRiders’ Board of Advisors, I work with a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps eligible voters navigate ID requirements nationwide. Our on-the-ground experience since 2012 reveals a different reality.

The in-person voter fraud that ID laws supposedly prevent is virtually nonexistent across the millions of votes cast each election. Meanwhile, these laws create very real barriers. According to VoteRiders’ recent research, an estimated 34.5 million Americans lack a current state-issued ID—not because they’re trying to cheat, but because obtaining ID requires underlying documents that may have been lost, money for ID fees, time off work, and transportation to often-distant DMV offices.

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