Voter Identification laws are an often discussion topic in the political sphere. To give some background information, Voter ID checks are for voting purposes in elections. It requires an individual to have some form of ID, like a drivers license, in order to cast a vote every other November when we head to the polls. To be concise, there are essentially two sides to this debate. One side argues that Voter ID laws are necessary to prevent fraudulent voting in elections. The other side argues that Voter ID laws disproportionately (and adversely) affect certain demographics, like minorities or the elderly, on the basis that those groups are less likely to have ID's like driver licenses. This side argues that as a result, those groups are discouraged from going out to vote, thus impeding the democratic process of elections.
This isn't a political blog so I'm not going to talk about the pros and cons of Voter ID laws as a whole or evaluate the accuracy of the claims that voter fraud is a rampant issue in need of Voter ID laws to remedy. What I want to talk about, obviously, is how this issue of Voter ID laws affects Native Americans and their citizenship rights and civil liberties.
Native Americans are a group frequently targeted by these Voter ID laws and are one of the groups that may be less likely to have one of the valid forms of ID that increasingly stricter Voter ID laws require. North Carolina recently passed new Voter ID laws. For most of the legislative process, lawmakers had deemed Tribal ID's as unacceptable and not up to par with their idea of a valid form of ID. It was not until the final round of revisions that lawmakers acquiesced to the demands of one lawmaker and decided to reinstate Tribal ID's an acceptable form of identification. Some people may argue that since there is only one federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina, it should not be a big deal if the Tribal ID's of that one tribe are no longer viewed as acceptable. However, I would vehemently oppose that claim, because that type of thinking not only marginalizes and belittles the rights of Native Americans, but it also destroys the very principles of a democratic society.
Democracy is strong because it is the voice of all the people in a land expressing their opinions. Democracy is strong because every single person is free to vote for the cause and candidate he or she supports. This freedom is what keeps people from feeling oppressed. Therefore, it should be the governments job to ensure that every group, like Native Americans, are given an easy path to expressing their democratic ideals. I applaud the North Carolina lawmakers who passed the bill tacking on Tribal ID's as a valid form of ID. However, it should never gave gotten to the point where not counting those types of ID's was actually a potential part of the law. The excuse of it not being a big deal since there is only one federally recognized tribe in North Carolina is also ridiculous if you think about it. If we aren't paving the way for every person to be able to easily vote then we're hindering the democratic process. It is only as strong as its weakest link, so every effort should be made to include even the smallest groups of people.
In contrast to the final results of what happened in North Carolina, I want to shed light on what's currently taking place in North Dakota. In the "Peace Garden State", where 5.4% of its population is Native American, a bill is making its way through the state legislature that would - you guessed it - make it harder for Native Americans to express their right to vote at the ballot box. This is happening right after a Congressman from North Dakota went on a disturbing rant against one of the state's Native American tribes. 5.4% of a state's population is actually a large amount, although it may seem like a small single-digit number. Again, I want to bring up the fact that democracy is made strongest by everyone participating. When viewed from that perspective, I hope you see why this is actually a big deal.
North Dakota Native Americans are rightfully ready to fight this injustice. There is talk of how this bill would violate federal provisions in the Federal Voting Rights Act that allows for the use of Tribal ID's as an acceptable form of ID. That aspect highlights the obvious legal issues involved in restricting voter access. Apart from that legal aspect, however, is the more important issue of ensuring the Native Americans have access to the same citizenship rights and civil liberties that all groups do. It should not be due to a legal technicality that this bill isn't allowed to pass. It should be because of citizen outrage and intrinsic values of democracy instilled in the lawmakers of North Dakota.
Next time you express your right to vote, I want you to think about this post. For most of you reading this, you probably will have few problems, if any, going through the voting process. But remember, for some, it is not that easy. Through your awareness of issues like these, make sure that you're voting for officials who support equal access to voting to ALL people in America, not just some. It is the politicians who believe fully in the democratic process that should be representing this nation.
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