In recent days, the debate on whether to require voter ID has become very prevalent. Some people say that voter ID shouldn’t be required because anybody living in the United States of America should be able to vote in an election. However, there are laws that protect our right to vote and those same laws state that people who are not citizens of our country aren’t permitted to vote in national elections and most local elections. I firmly believe that this is an inviolable right that should not be handled lightly.  

Requiring voter ID is not a newly debated topic. Many states have already passed laws requiring some form of ID. I believe that all states should require ID because it would make it exponentially harder for someone to vote that isn’t a legal citizen. For example, in Illinois, if you go to vote in person, you do not need to have any form of identification to be able to vote. This is a major security breach because anyone could come and vote, skewing the results of a state and possibly the entire election. 

When voter ID is not required, anyone can vote. For instance, a study done in 2016 found that there are approximately four hundred thousand undocumented immigrants in Illinois. Although not all undocumented immigrants have malicious intent, it does create the possibility for people who aren’t citizens that have an intent to sway the outcome of the election. This is a major threat because there are people all over the world that want America to be destroyed. By passing laws that require people to show ID to vote we would be greatly limiting the possibility of people illegally submitting ballots. 

Not just any ID should be excepted as voter ID. I think that voter ID should have a Photo and some form of security question. This doesn’t have to be something very complicated and in fact, can be relatively simple. For example, most people already have a driver’s license and would only need to register. Then their driver’s license could be attached to a voting account which would also allow voting to be entirely online which could expedite the counting process. 

Of course, some people might argue that they don’t have or know how to get an ID but there are in fact organizations that will help you obtain them. These organizations help you to obtain the documents necessary to vote. Some of these organizations such as rockthevote.org are non-profit organizations that help you to acquire a voter ID and help inform you on how to vote. These programs are great resources because they are quite easy to navigate and full of unbelievably valuable information that I think everyone should know and be educated on. Another available resource is usa.gov. These resources are equipped with all the information on how to register to vote, how you can get a voter ID for states that apply, as well as all the laws that might apply in your state and even city or county.  

Requiring voter ID is about more than the government accumulating more power and information on its citizens. It is about protecting our rights and freedoms that were fought for by so many and keeping the government from taking away those inviolable privileges that allow us to be who we are.  It also inspires others to act for themselves in their communities around the world. It is also what allows people who want to come to America and do legally and fulfill the American dream. I am a firm believer that our right to vote is not to be infringed upon.