It is “Super Tuesday.” Five out of the thirteen states voting in the presidential primary today will do so requiring at least some type of voter identification: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Given the issues that have already occurred during this presidential cycle (Iowa, New Hampshire), it is hard to imagine why the laws themselves are being targeted by the left, especially since voter turnout has continued to soar this cycle. Currently, 17 states have not established some sort of identity verification in order to vote.
Nonetheless, the Virginia Voter ID law is still under fire:
Last year, the Democratic Party of Virginia filed suit challenging the 2013 law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. They said the law illegally depresses minority and young people voting.
Monday in federal court in Richmond, a black woman who grew up in a small, segregated town wept on the witness stand as she testified about the trouble she had voting in the 2014 election in Virginia.
Josephine Okiakpe, 69, said she produced several forms of identification, but did not have a photo ID that was considered acceptable. She cried as she recalled others looking at her and snickering, leaving her upset and frustrated.
She was given a provisional ballot, which ultimately was counted, but said the experience undermined her confidence in the way Virginia conducts elections.
It’s unfortunate that people were unkind to Ms. Okiakpe; however, as the lead witness in this case, she was still able to vote via provisional ballot. She was not disenfranchised, which is the main argument of voter ID opponents against voter ID laws. Moreover, the integrity of the election was maintained. The exaggerated claims of mass disenfranchisement have yet to be substantiated in any of these suits challenging voter ID laws.
The trial in the challenge to Virginia's voter ID law is ongoing.
The trial in the challenge to Virginia's voter ID law is ongoing.