Voter ID
One other reason why I left town this weekend was to go vote. Although I work in Indiana, I am an Illinois resident. I grew up in Illinois, lived in Springfield for 10 years and my house is there and with Indy only being a 3-hour drive away, I felt no need to give up some items that are very dear to me. Also voting in Illinois makes it easier to do my job here as I do not have to pick and choose between people I generally like for the most part. It also means that I can stay above the fray here and become “Uber-pundit” since I have no vested interest in any office or political party.
However, the interesting thing about voting this weekend was that I had to show identification. You see the Illinois Primary is March 21. And since I’ll be here working I voted absentee. In order to vote absentee in Illinois you have to show a picture ID. I went to the county clerk’s office. They asked for my ID. I showed it. They gave me a ballot. I voted. I returned my ballot. I went to lunch. It was that simple. When the nice lady asked me for my ID I did not feel disenfranchised. I did not think it was a return to the days of Jim Crow. In fact, I didn’t feel anything.
To me Voter ID has been a non-issue. Showing a picture ID to protect the integrity of the system doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me. Granted, enforcement should be equal across Indiana and people in small towns should be asked for ID just like those in big cities. But to argue asking someone to show the same ID they would show when cashing a check or renting a movie is returning to the days of poll taxes is ridiculous.
I voted with no issue. I don’t know what everyone else’s problem is.
