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2010 is here, and the most important thing that may happen this year is the mid-term elections in November. All 435 House seats are up for grabs and 36 of the 100 Senate seats are also being contested. This is an opportunity to express any discontent you may have, and force a nationwide change-of-direction, simply by casting your vote for the candidate that will best represent you. It can also be an opportunity to express your approval for a job well done, if you favor the current direction and policy-making proficiency of our national legislature. However, your vote can only have an impact when it is not cancelled out by an act of voter fraud.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of these conspiracy theorists who thinks that every election is being bought and sold behind closed doors, but cases of voter fraud are occurring at a rate that I do find discomforting. There was the famous case of ACORN in 2008, which is an activist group that was caught filing thousands of fake voter registrations in multiple states (read the CNN story from 10/10/08 here). After every election we hear stories of votes being cast by voters that are deceased, have fake names, or have since moved away. How is that possible? Well, the main problem is that only 7 states require a photo ID in order to vote and 25 of the 50 states don’t require any form of identification at all (including my home state of Massachusetts). That sounds like an open invitation for those who are inclined to defraud the system. (See the full list of voter ID requirements by State here).

Since I live in one of the states with no ID requirements, let me tell you what my voting experience is like. I go to my local polling location (usually a high school or public facility) and approach a folding table that is staffed by 2-3 very nice elderly women. They ask me for my name and address, I tell them, they then look up my name on a list and cross me off. I am handed a ballot and guided to a private voting booth. When I’m done, I insert my ballot into a machine and leave. Seems normal enough, except I could have told them I was anyone. I could have told them I was my next door neighbor, my mailman, or my uncle that recently died but is still a registered voter. As long as I know the person’s address I could drive to the different polling places all over town and vote multiple times. The worst part is that the reason I’m able to get away with it is the same reason I would have relatively little fear of being caught. It’s because no form of ID is required. I can vote as anyone I want, and after the fact how could you prove who actually voted since no photo ID was asked for. Does this seem like a problem to anyone else?

Some of you may be thinking that I’m blowing this topic a little out of proportion. After all, most elections are decided by wide margins, and even narrow margins are still thousands of votes, and although voter fraud may occur, it probably isn’t effecting the overall outcome, especially in the big national elections that matter most. I ask you to consider three things. First and foremost you should be outraged on principle, because any fraudulent vote that is cast for the opposing candidate cancels out your vote, and voting is the most sacred privilege that is bestowed upon us by our country. Knowing that there are people out there taking your vote away from you, and being able to do it with such easy should cause a violent emotional response. The second thing we must remember is that local elections (towns, cities and counties) can effect eventual state and federal elections. Most of our national elected officials started off as local officials and worked their way up, and local elections are by far the most lax in their ID procedures and are decided by much fewer votes, making voter fraud much more effective. The last thing we should remember is the amount of votes that decided the Bush vs. Gore election of 2000. Need I say more?

So what’s the solution? It’s so painfully obvious it makes you wonder why it has only been implemented by 7 states. Requirement of a government (state or federal) issued photo ID solves the problem instantly. You walk in to vote, they ask for your name and ID, you show it to them and you’re on your way. Only the correct registered voter would ever be able to vote, problem solved. What’s the argument against it? The main push-back against such a requirement is that it may disenfranchise lower-income voters who don’t have driver’s licenses and can’t afford to get the photo ID. In a sense, they would have to pay a fee in order to vote and that may prevent some people from being able to do it, and discourage others from doing it, and that would be an unlawful practice. In the U.S. we have the right to vote. We also have the freedom to purchase alcohol and cigarettes, but not without showing a photo ID (the store doesn’t take my word for it when I tell them my age). We have the freedom to own and operate motor vehicles, but not without carrying a state-issued photo ID on us at all times. Still not convinced? We have the freedom to get on an airplane and fly to anywhere in the country we want, but not without showing a photo ID and proving our identities before we even set foot on the airplane. I don’t hear any civil liberties groups screaming about poor people being “disenfranchised” from their freedom to buy a six-pack of Schlitz or catch a red-eye to Atlanta, because of the costs associated with getting a photo ID.

However, I like to think I’m a fairly generous guy, so for the sake of this article I’m going to concede the point above, because even if it stops only one person from being able to vote, such a policy would be unacceptable. In any issue involving voter’s rights or a possible infringement on a person’s ability to vote we should air on the side of caution, so I’ve got a solution. I believe that a photo ID requirement for voters should be passed on a federal level, and that acceptable photo IDs should be one of the following: 1.) A state-issued driver’s license. 2.) A state-issued photo ID. 3.) A military ID 4.) A federally-issued photo ID. However, I believe that state or federal photo IDs should be free. After all, anyone with a driver’s license has already paid to get that, so the majority of American adults would be covered. It would be in a state’s best interests for its citizens to have photo identification if they do not drive, so why not provide it for them and kill two birds with one stone. I know I’m not usually somebody who believes in more government spending, and I’m not suggesting that anyone be forced to get a photo ID, just that they would need one in order to vote. For people casting an absentee ballot, the person who collects the ballot could check the ID and sign-off on it.

Since I don’t believe in using people’s tax dollars to pay for such things, how do we fund these free IDs? I usually like the idea of cutting the billions of dollars of wasteful government spending, but let’s assume that’s not going to happen and come up with something a little more creative. Let’s start with the voting equipment itself. All those portable voting booths and machines just sit in a closet and collect dust between elections, so why not rent them out? Large companies might like to have a couple so employees can vote anonymously on company initiatives like changing health care providers or offering stock-options in the upcoming year. They could also be used for more light-hearted matters like employee surveys or voting for an “Employee of the Month” award. Private schools might like to use them for school elections and local clubs and lodges usually have elections for their officers or board of directors. Another way to generate revenue is through vanity IDs and driver’s licenses. People always seem willing to pay for ways to express their individuality, and although the standard photo ID would be free, why not give people additional options for an additional charge, like cooler background colors or a theme (tropical, retro, rock n’ roll, etc.) for their ID, just like we already do with license plates. Also, whenever an individual or organization (like ACORN) is caught filing fake voter registrations or committing some other form of voter fraud, why not levy a stiff fine against them that goes directly toward funding these IDs, and helping legally registered voters cast their ballot. These are just a few ideas to get the politicians started…

In the end, Requiring photo IDs for voting ensures that your vote counts and maintains the vital integrity of the system. The only people this new law would “disenfranchise” are illegal immigrants, the deceased, or criminals, and that’s not such a bad thing now, is it?