Posted by Kromey at 2:03pm Jul 16 '12However, when you're starting from a position where there is no such ID and no infrastructure in place to give them to people who are legal voters but not 'convenient' (unregistered births, poorly documented immigrants, or just people who can't afford the time or money to get any prospective new ID), to introduce such an ID requires a very careful process to avoid demographically distorting disenfranchisement (how's that for alliteration?).
That is some pretty awesome alliteration, all right!
There is such an ID available here, although as with all forms of ID here having one is optional (although mandatory for certain things -- interesting how it's required to have ID to drive or to fly, but not to decide the leaders of our country, hm?). Generally, states have "state IDs" and then they have driver's licenses; most folks have the latter, although the former works just as well (for establishing identity, anyway -- it's not valid for driving!) and is cheaper.
In Alaska, it costs $20 to get a license, or $15 to get a state ID (unless you're 60 or older -- then it's free!). Neither of those fees are back-breaking. You do have to have a birth certificate to get either (unless you're renewing an existing one, or have other form of ID); that costs $50, which is now getting a little more expensive.
Generally, getting your birth certificate requires having photo ID, which puts you into a catch-22 if you're trying to get your first photo ID! However, a parent can provide photo ID, or if they're not available you can still work with the state to figure out how to prove your identity and then get your birth certificate to get ID; admittedly, I don't know what that process is like.
So this puts the cost of an ID at $65, if your parents don't still have the copy of your birth certificate they were given when you were born. That shouldn't be an exorbitant cost for anyone, but again I have no trouble offsetting that cost for those for whom it honestly is.
That is some pretty awesome alliteration, all right!
There is such an ID available here, although as with all forms of ID here having one is optional (although mandatory for certain things -- interesting how it's required to have ID to drive or to fly, but not to decide the leaders of our country, hm?). Generally, states have "state IDs" and then they have driver's licenses; most folks have the latter, although the former works just as well (for establishing identity, anyway -- it's not valid for driving!) and is cheaper.
In Alaska, it costs $20 to get a license, or $15 to get a state ID (unless you're 60 or older -- then it's free!). Neither of those fees are back-breaking. You do have to have a birth certificate to get either (unless you're renewing an existing one, or have other form of ID); that costs $50, which is now getting a little more expensive.
Generally, getting your birth certificate requires having photo ID, which puts you into a catch-22 if you're trying to get your first photo ID! However, a parent can provide photo ID, or if they're not available you can still work with the state to figure out how to prove your identity and then get your birth certificate to get ID; admittedly, I don't know what that process is like.
So this puts the cost of an ID at $65, if your parents don't still have the copy of your birth certificate they were given when you were born. That shouldn't be an exorbitant cost for anyone, but again I have no trouble offsetting that cost for those for whom it honestly is.
Re: I think this is one of those times ... - Kromey