The Pernicious Myth of Voter ID Laws: Stacey Abrams & Joyce Vance Explain

What could possibly be wrong with requiring people to show identification to register to vote and to vote? It turns out, a lot. It’s not about addressing voter fraud, because frankly, that’s just not a serious problem, no matter how many times Trump claims it is. ID requirements are about keeping Americans from voting—older Americans, students, Native Americans, people who can’t afford to pay the cost for one of the limited forms of ID that would count, married women, and, of course, Black voters.

The legendary Stacey Abrams and I work through the explanation of what’s wrong with the push for ID rules, in light of Donald Trump’s determination to make it more difficult for people to vote. These proposals all center around restricting the types of ID that would count. And there’s a push on multiple fronts to make it happen:

• An executive order (a court has already said Trump’s is unconstitutional),

• The SAVE Act (Republicans are trying to get the votes it needs in the Senate),

• Agency regulations at places like the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and

• Pushing states to adopt these measures on their own

The amount of effort the administration is putting into it suggests they are very serious. If enhanced ID isn’t a requirement for this election, it’s very likely the MAGA party will keep pushing for it ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.

This is the time to understand what’s really happening. Next time a friend or neighbor asks, “What’s wrong with needing to show your ID to vote?” I wanted you to be prepared to respond. Watching the video above will get you there. And please, if you have additional questions, leave them in the chat so we can do everything we can to push back against this pernicious nonsense.

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Thanks for being here with me at Civil Discourse. It’s good to be part of a community of people who are committed to educating themselves and others and to keeping the Republic. Your paid subscriptions make it possible for me to devote the time and resources it takes to write the newsletter, and I’m very grateful for your support.

We’re in this together,

Joyce

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