[EL] “Constitution Check: Are driver’s licenses the answer to voter ID laws?”

[John Tanner]

> On Oct 22, 2015, at 10:48 AM, Rick Hasen <rhasen at law.uci.edu> wrote:
> 
> “Constitution Check: Are driver’s licenses the answer to voter ID laws?” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=76939>
There’s an element of Lyle Denniston’s piece.  First, he notes that many people do not need or cannot afford a driver’s license, and then touts the California system of automatic registration for those who have drivers’ licenses.  The California approach thus leaves behind those who do not need or cannot afford a driver’s license - many of the same people who are often left behind by the “digital divide” in on-line registration.  A better approach is to expand automatic registration to all of the “motor voter” agencies -those providing public assistance and serving person with disabilities.  This approach would capture the under-served populations, save money, and add integrity to the voter lists.  See   http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/22/875308/reliable-registration-is-key-to.html <http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/22/875308/reliable-registration-is-key-to.html>, http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-03-02/news/bs-ed-voter-registration-20110302_1_national-voter-registration-act-motor-voter-nvra <http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-03-02/news/bs-ed-voter-registration-20110302_1_national-voter-registration-act-motor-voter-nvra>

Also, to correct some frequent and mildly annoying errors about Alabama (where I do a lot of voting rights work), of the 28 counties with no location where people can take a driving test, “only” eight, not a majority, have black majority 7 more are over 30% minority (counting the Native American population Washington County), so most are more heavily black than the State as a whole (26%): there is a racial disproportion and the closures are problematic - made mores by the clustering of counties in which the part-time offices were closed, as are related closures of state parks and other employment opportunities in what is a desperately poor area of the state.    

    

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