Republicans have an amendment being discussed on the floor that’s being presented as common-sense voter ID. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, called it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and a big cover-up meant to suppress votes by removing people from the rolls without their knowledge or consent. “The point isn’t about voter ID at all,” Schumer said. “In fact, 99 percent of the SAVE Act has nothing to do with voter ID.”
He pointed out that the amendment would require voters to submit photocopies of their ID when voting absentee, which would “violate basic privacy.”
He explained that people would have to include a photo ID with their ballot, and election officials would have to open the envelope, potentially seeing how someone voted. “The sacred secrecy of our ballot would be broken by this amendment,” he added. “Anyone who voted by mail would have to put a voter ID inside the envelope, and the election board would have to open it and see how you voted.”
No Democrats supported the amendment, which was proposed by Senator Jon Husted, a MAGA-aligned senator.
The amendment would have required people to show photo ID when voting in person or by mail — even as Republicans are trying to close driver’s license offices to make it harder for people to get the ID. The final vote was 52-47, and it needed 60 votes to pass.
Schumer noted that this isn’t really about “election integrity” as right-wingers claim.
After many investigations, there’s no evidence of mass voter fraud. It’s a myth made up by conservatives to create another barrier to voting. They know that when voter turnout is low, their unpopular party benefits.
About the Author
