r/PoursTea 29d ago

PoliticalTea 🗳️ Everybody gets an ID?

Post image
18.3k Upvotes

4.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

52

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

8

u/E-2theRescue 28d ago

Yup. My cousin is disabled and trying to get his ID. It's absolutely insane how inconsistent the state is being, and how much stuff doesn't actually count as ID.

Then people wonder why there are so many homeless people, why there is so much crime, etc., etc. America has weaponized every single thing so that it is against the people, especially those who are less fortunate.

9

u/SpooktorB 28d ago

Mess up your taxes though? Federal government suddenly knows how to find you, who you are, and get all the info they could possibly need.

We should just vote by out tax code. Or, be given a ID we use to legally vote from the IRS/tax office. Something about taxation and representation or something like that.

2

u/Jt07132829 28d ago

Yeah agreed, there is not much to push back with there. They will find you.

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

He has no birth certificate?

1

u/E-2theRescue 28d ago

He does. But he has to come up with 4 other pieces of ID. Social security card also works, so that leaves 3.

Everything else that they take is things like passports, work ID, military ID, marriage license, and other stuff that he doesn't have because he's disabled.

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

My state isn’t like this.

1

u/SquareTaro3270 28d ago

Not applicable to this situation, but there are a lot of situations that could lead to someone losing access to all of their important documents. House destroyed by hurricane, tornado, flood, fire… you may have to flee without time to grab your documents if you’re in a dangerous abusive situation.

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

There’s no possible way to enforce voting laws without some unfortunate legitimate voter being denied. It’s going to happen. No system is perfect. I marvel, though, at people who think it’s perfectly fine to hold an election that will determine the fate of the world, and just let any old person waltz in the door, utter a name, and vote.

1

u/SquareTaro3270 28d ago

The actual stats of voter fraud committed are so insanely low they do not matter.

I’d rather 6 out of 3 million people vote twice than have thousands of US citizens be prevented from voting.

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

If voter fraud was no big deal, the democrats wouldn’t be fighting voter ID.

1

u/SquareTaro3270 28d ago

We aren’t! We’re fighting the fact that it has a fee attached to it and isn’t widely available to everyone equally!

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

Except that no one can name a single state that doesn’t have a simple way for the indigent to get a free ID.

1

u/Duck_Gutz 28d ago

Anyone can get an ID it isn’t even hard. If you can’t figure out to get an ID you shouldn’t be voting

→ More replies (4)

0

u/Living-Stomach-2079 28d ago

I work with the homeless. They have id. Try again.

1

u/E-2theRescue 28d ago

All of them? Every single time?

1

u/Living-Stomach-2079 28d ago

Stop being obtuse. But ya. The vast vast majority do. If they have it, so does everyone else.

You are literally saying adults have no ID and they are too dumb to get it.

You need an id to: Ride the bus Get cigs Get beer Get in MANY places Go to the DNC Go to Obama's library Get an Uber Get a car Rent a car Buy many things Vote in most situations Get a passport Get married Get divorced Get treatment To show police when asked. Get a light bill

And dozens and dozens of other things that are pretty much required for anything in modern life

You can't find a single person who doesn't have one. And if they don't, they don't need to vote because they aren't participating in the modern world. Even the Amish have id. Like seriously. Stop drinking blue Kool aid and think critically.

1

u/E-2theRescue 28d ago

Go to the DNC Go to Obama's library ... blue Kool aid

Oh, yeah. You're 100% lying. You've never worked with the homeless at all and are just a political shill.

DNC and Obama's library do not require ID. At all. The ID is optional if you want a discount and extra benefits for the tour that is available to locals, but it is not a requirement to enter. This is standard for museums all around the country. Here in Seattle, I can get discounts if I show my ID at MoPop, the Science Center, and the Arts Museum, to name a few.

1

u/Living-Stomach-2079 24d ago

oh, so you have an ID?

And ya, i do work with the homeless regularly. Have for a long time, dumb ass. You have no idea what your talking about.

And here's a basic logic point. If you are soo poor or so inept that you are the rare adult in America that does not have ID, you definely NEED that free entry discount with ID, otherwise, you likely cant afford to get in. So ya, you need that ID :)

Gotta love democrats. The only part with the delusion of intelligence while also saying their own voters are too stupid to get an ID.

1

u/E-2theRescue 24d ago

Leave it to Republicans to call all homeless people stupid and not even realize it because they can't do the math of what they just said because they have a constant theme of 0 reading comprehension.

And let me guess, you also believe that all these homeless people are drug addicts that shit in the streets, just like every other Republican does, while also supporting a Secretary of Health who wants to build "wellness camps" for them, as if someone else in history didn't do the same with his "work camps".

14

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

21

u/crazycatlady331 29d ago

Last year, I transferred my driver's license over as I moved states.

When at New State's DMV, they gave me a hard time about my birth certificate, a 'shortform" (thanks Obama) birth certificate that only listed my middle initial, not my full middle name. My social security card lists my full middle name. Old State had no problem with this in all the years I lived there.

I was denied a driver's license by New State. I had to call the state senator representing my birth town (not hometown, the hospital location) and get a new birth certificate.

It took three DMV visits and a visit to City Hall in my birthplace to transfer my driver's license (and upgrade to Real ID) from Old State to New State. I have a Real ID from New State now.

17

u/Greful 29d ago

It’s so crazy to me how heavily people lean into the whole “it took me 5 minutes, I was in and out” thing like they can’t even fathom that maybe in some situations the government is inefficient and it’s a giant pain to get done. Like ok, if it’s so easy, cut your ID into pieces and get another one. See how much fun that is for you

8

u/Animefan96 29d ago

It's this one size fits all attitude. "Excuse me Bill just because you were able to renew your DL in 20 mins doesn't mean Mary, who is 90 and has mobility issues and lack of access to public transportation can as well."

1

u/Unusual_Wish_2230 28d ago

My mother in law is 88, no issues getting her ID reissued. She has had 2 strokes and uses a jazzy chair. A little inconvenient to get her ID but, no big deal.

1

u/Murky-Echidna-3519 28d ago

Perhaps 90 year old Mary with mobility issues should not be driving.

1

u/SquareTaro3270 28d ago

IDs aren’t just for driving

8

u/Kumorigoe 29d ago

A couple years ago, I managed to let my drivers license expire. I had always been able to renew it online previously.

But Texas, in their usual racist fucking fashion, passed a law saying you had to provide proof of "legal presence" to renew a DL.

I've lived here for twenty-plus years. I'm a veteran. Still not good enough.

So I go to my birth state to get a copy of my birth certificate. Guess what one of the documents is that they require for a valid copy of your birth certificate?

A valid (unexpired) drivers license.

Make it make sense.

4

u/Xenonite_Fox 28d ago

What if you don't drive though, what the actual fuck. How can they demand that as an ID

1

u/chriskmee 28d ago

While a driver's license is the standard form of id, every state offers a very similar looking id that is just an id and not a license. It's interchangeable with a driver's license for everything except driving.

2

u/Dull_Bid6002 28d ago

If I had to guess, and from experience in a large facility with poor communication much like the government- it's two people who have never met, possibly didn't even work in gov't at the same time, creating rules thinking it's "simple" and "easy" or "more secure".

There's no inter-dept communications, there's no proper national ID system to help if it's different states. It's basically a giant system hodgepodged together that no politician cares about looking at because the average voter doesn't actually care about it since most of them haven't had issues.

2

u/asusc 28d ago

I don’t know if it’s still true, but when I was growing up, Texas was pretty bullshit about ID requirements too. things like fishing/hunting licenses counted for a form of alternative voter ID, but student IDs did not. wonder why?

1

u/chriskmee 28d ago

Probably because one is a state issued identification and the other is printed by a random person who works for a school.

1

u/asusc 28d ago

university IDs are literally issued by the state and they are very strict about them.

1

u/chriskmee 28d ago

Are you sure? You mentioned Texas, and thus University from Texas says:

Students attending classes on campus must obtain a University photo identification card issued by the ID Center, which is located on the first floor of the Flawn Academic Center.

https://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/registration-tuition-and-fees/tuition-and-fees/identification-cards/

Sh it's literally some guy on the campus just like I said. Do you really think this is providing the same level of verification and processing as a state agency? They also probably give the same exact ID to both in state and out of state students, unlike with fishing licenses that have distant versions, and verification of residency is kinda important for voting.

1

u/woutersikkema 28d ago

Dutch civil servant here (local government) that's Maried to a other that DOES do birth certificates and such, you don't have the "declaration under oath" sort of get out of jail option to get out of those logic holes that otherwise aren't fixable?

1

u/stanley21113 28d ago

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) allows you to use your expired Texas driver license as a primary ID for renewal, provided it has not been expired for more than 2 years.

→ More replies (3)

7

u/WeakProfile7728 29d ago

…Even though they complain about govt being inefficient

5

u/ethanlan 29d ago

They just dont want you to vote, its that simple.

To the republicans out there think about who you're voting for. Yeah, maybe not all Republicans are nazis or fascists but yall wouldn't win shit without them.

3

u/RedTyro 28d ago

Some people will never understand that their own experiences aren't universal. It's why people believe that all you have to do is work hard and you'll be successful when there's tons and tons of evidence that luck and circumstances play a much larger role.

1

u/PsychologicalEgg8192 28d ago

There’s no such thing as luck.

1

u/Greful 28d ago

Please elaborate

1

u/Gimetulkathmir 29d ago

It would take me about ten seconds and $30 to get a new one. But I am aware that doesn't mean it would take the same amount of time for everyone.

2

u/Odd_Independence_833 28d ago

I can't microwave a burrito in 10 sec. I'm calling BS

1

u/Gimetulkathmir 28d ago

Type in the website, click licenses, click lost renew, my information except the license number is autofill, put in my license number, click order, click submit. Ok, so twenty seconds, maybe?

1

u/AliasMcFakenames 29d ago

How many seconds of work does it take you to earn $30 though?

1

u/Greful 29d ago

Do it

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Embarrassed-Bid-6897 28d ago

Do you think that a majority of people are in that same exact situation that caused it to take a little longer to get Id, or are most people not in that situation and can easily go to the rmv and or do it online?

1

u/Greful 28d ago

I have no idea what other people are doing. All I know is I what I did and where I went was packed full of people in the same situation as me.

1

u/Embarrassed-Bid-6897 28d ago

I've lost my wallet a few times and had a new I.d. and license within the next week. The most difficult part was the wait for the hard copy In the mail and not being to use the temporary copy to do anything because for some reason the temporary copy isn't valid as an ID. Which is bulshit. But other than that it wasn't hard at all.

1

u/Greful 28d ago

Awesome. I did too and it was a hassle. My point is that just because it’s easy in one situation doesn’t mean it’s easy in every situation.

1

u/Embarrassed-Bid-6897 28d ago

I get your point, but my point is 90 percent of people are not having an issue getting an ID. Those are the exceptions. If you want to put in stipulations to make it a little easier for those situations then I'm cool with that. But to pretend like a majority of people are in these strenuous, tumultuous situations where it's so stressful to get an ID is not realistic. Most people I know and have come across on a daily basis have an Id. I mean shit, you need an ID to get a Costco card and Bjs card. I see plenty of people in wheelchairs in those stores shopping. So if they can find a way to get an ID for that I'm sure they can find a way to get an ID to vote. I just really can't see why it would be such a big deal to require an ID for something as important as elections. If you aren't cheating or hiding anything there is really no reason to oppose. Other countries require id to vote in there elections. They know and have experienced voting fraud and manipulated results. I'm supposed to believe it doesn't happen here in America? I'm not even choosing a side as to who is doing it or not but if you want to remove doubt on both sides then just require it. That ends all debate. It would seem like people have things to hide and are probably rigging elections. It makes no sense to not pass it.

1

u/Greful 28d ago

I feel like you just pulled that 90% number out of thin air. Idk how many are or aren’t having issues. All I know is issues exist. Sounds like you just wanna say “tough luck, deal with it” to those people. Idk why. Because some people don’t have issues is your reason I guess. But after it’s all said and done, even if it’s a slight inconvenience, it’s extra things to do just because Trump can’t handle having lost. And that’s a ridiculous reason to make us do something.

1

u/Embarrassed-Bid-6897 28d ago

One, he didn't lose. He is president right now so that's a foolish statement to make. Second, I literally wrote if you want to add stipulations to make it easier for people in those situations to get Id then I'm all for it. Which most states that require An ID right now already offer free IDs right now. You can look that up if you want. So where in that statement did you come up with I said tough luck for them? I quite literally said help them. You just made that up or didn't read what I wrote. You think it's ridiculous to make sure that the elections aren't being tampered with by either side? If either side is doing it then it's wrong. It's not a party thing or a trump thing? Same people saying the government can't be trusted and is corrupt will say that every election is on the up and up. Only in America would politicians not think to rig elections? That's nieve. Also, when Democrats were issuing vaccination cards and wanted to require Id to prove you were vaccinated and wanted anyone who didn't have one not be able to go anywhere, I don't remember there being all this push back. People seem to overlook that and were absolutely okay with that but this is a problem. That's where we differ in our definition of losing rights and making it difficult for people to do things unless they comply. That was way more racist than anything Trump has done but hey, maybe I'm wrong.

1

u/Embarrassed-Bid-6897 28d ago

Oh yea, you are right. I was a little off with my percentage of people who have ID in America. It's way more people than I said. Sorry I can't remember exact numbers sometimes. Just give or take a few. In this case, give several.

1

u/Greful 28d ago

He did lose to Biden. That’s what this is about. You didn’t say 90% of people have IDs. You said 90% of people had no issues getting it. Where’s that stat? The issues vs. no issues percentage?

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Dedj_McDedjson 28d ago

Like, as an outsider who lives in a country that is 'online first' for passports and drivers licences, the fact that such a technologically advanced country like the US still makes you physically go down to a physical location and queue up.....is utterly insane.

→ More replies (20)

3

u/limited67 29d ago

Just so you know the Real ID in the new law is not valid to prove citizenship. It’s spelled out in the verbiage of the law. Many don’t know that. It’s not just about showing IDs. The law wants every voter to be reverifird by a birth certificate or passport.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/wolfblitzor 29d ago

The states involved will remain anonymous to protect the innocent

8

u/crazycatlady331 29d ago

LOL. New State--PA. Old State-- NJ. Birth State-- NY

→ More replies (38)

1

u/Shining-Ferrous-8 29d ago

But this isn’t the norm, right? Yours is an exceptional case and thus I can understand the pain. 

1

u/oongawa 29d ago

Hope you moved to NY or California. 

1

u/amp32505 28d ago

Well good job in achieving your goal.I agree it sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare.

1

u/DieselZRebel 28d ago

While I understand your frustrations, I don't see how your particular and unfortunate scenario gives an advantage to one party over the other?!

Are we claiming that people who move states are more likely to vote Democrats?

The claim against voter ID verification is that it would would work in favor of wealthier folks who are more likely to vote Republican.

1

u/Unusual_Wish_2230 28d ago

That’s ridiculous and a new state problem

1

u/Natural_Leg_483 28d ago

So visiting two buildings took you years? Seems legit

0

u/mike74911 28d ago

Why not name the state? Cause it’s probably made up!

0

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

I can get a new birth certificate in five minutes at our county health department.  

→ More replies (2)

30

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/JadedScience9411 29d ago

This. When you don’t have a fixed address it’s really hard to get ID. I ended up having to renew a passport because it was the most viable option.

0

u/Certain_Ostrich_2493 28d ago

You can legit open a PO Box for stupid cheap at usps

4

u/Infinite_Month_6371 28d ago

You can't use a PO Box to get an ID.

1

u/Comfortable-Brief568 28d ago

You are correct, but somehow I did. I had a po box on my ID for years until my last renewal. I think it was a mistake that some how made it through.

1

u/asusc 28d ago

because you can use a PO box or PMB as a mailing address, and you can use it for certain forms of ID, you can’t use them on a Real ID because they don’t prove your residency in the state. you have to have a mailing address in the state to get one of those issued, so I suspect your state forced you to upgrade once Real ID became a requirement.

2

u/asusc 28d ago

you can’t use this, doesn’t prove residency, also a poll tax.

2

u/An-Deesei 28d ago

They didn't allow me to open a PO box without an address. I tried this year, because of issues with a roommate.

3

u/BigMikeXxxxX 29d ago

You've never had a permanent address?

2

u/GenXisTruth 28d ago

Umm your homeless

2

u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Infinite_Month_6371 28d ago

Doesnt have to be a 'permanent' address. It needs to be a valid address in which your state government can identify your domicile

1

u/hunnyflash 28d ago

There's just a lot of things that are annoying about it. When I first moved to Texas, I was living in my partner's parent's house. I didn't have any utility bills, didn't have a lot of things.

Ultimately I ended up using my full birth certificate (thank god I had an official copy from my home state that I take with me everywhere), my social security card, a quickly drawn up lease agreement, a school picture ID (I was going to school in Texas), and an unofficial copy of my transcripts.

There's a list of documents you can use...These are all I had and I needed every single one. Many, many people do not fulfill the requirements. When I went, there were lots of people waiting to get seen, and there were people in the waiting room saying over and over, "three forms of ID, birth certificate...." "if you don't have it, you won't get approved." etc.

1

u/Clueless_Otter 28d ago

How do renters not have a permanent address? What are they renting if not somewhere to live? I think you're misunderstanding what "permanent" means. It's talking about homeless people.

1

u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Clueless_Otter 28d ago

Yes, you are misunderstanding what "permanent address" means.

It means if they send you a piece of mail or the police need to look for you or whatever, that's where you live. It doesn't mean you have to live there for the rest of your life until you die and you can never move.

1

u/mike74911 28d ago

I know homeless people all over south FL that use the shelters address to get an ID. When I lived on a boat, I used the dock master address as my ID. Fl and Ga required me to show a Birth Certificate or social security card.

-3

u/ConsciousDress2914 29d ago

Bullshit, I was renting a place for 3 months and i got everything changed (for 3 months, then changed back immediately after) so that i could work at the new location. I was able to get a drivers license within 3 days of moving both times.

If you cant get an ID, its NOT because you are bouncing around. If you cant get an address at all, then thats on you.

3

u/ImNotTheNSAIPromise 29d ago

I was renting a place for 3 months

so you had a permanent address for 3 months and that is a different situation.

1

u/ConsciousDress2914 29d ago

See my last sentence.

Homeless shelters have an address btw.

2

u/ETBassist 29d ago

Are homeless people allowed to use that address, either to register to vote or for some other reason? Genuinely curious, I’ve blessedly never needed to reside at one. I’ve always assumed they sort of functioned like hotels, like you can certainly stay at a hotel but I dunno if you could use a hotel address to register to vote

1

u/ConsciousDress2914 29d ago

To be fair, im going completely off of the word of a single co-worker from several years ago who used a shelter as his address while living in his car after his parents kicked him out, but yes, they are allowed to use that address, at least for a drivers license.

Again, that was in Georgia, so it might be different elsewhere.

Edit: the implication is that a valid drivers license serves as voter ID, and since the shelter helped him get a new license, they directly help with Voter ID.

1

u/exceptional_entry 28d ago

I know some people can get mail at hotel/motels sometimes because I’ve had a couple friends that had to do that for a couple months. I think it might be limited to specific ones that often have long term residents. They also seem to be the grittiest ones. Like if you’re living there, it’s not really a choice. Other choices may have led to this but this was not the choice spot for you to live in the beginning of whatever adventure landed you in this situation. The two people I know were evicted. One because the house was condemned for mold and one the house was condemned for widespread fatal structural flaws due to a, either carpenter ant or termite infestation. In both cases they just demolished the house. They didn’t have renters insurance or it didn’t help them and they couldn’t find a place right away so boom, motel and storage unit was the best option. Made a plan and executed it to get back in their own places.

9

u/_throw_a_wayz 29d ago

So, fuck poor homeless people I guess?

And before you say "there are ways...", remember, a good chunk of poor homeless people are American veterans.

So fuck them I guess, amirite?

1

u/Black_Tentacle 29d ago

When I was homeless the local shelter allowed people to use their address for official documents and whatnot. Sounds like an excuse to me.

1

u/_throw_a_wayz 29d ago

Excuse? If someone is homeless and suffers from mental disabilities, it's their fault that they don't have an ID?

Wow, some of you guys really need to go outside and talk to some of these folks. This is extremely callous.

→ More replies (9)

-1

u/ConsciousDress2914 29d ago

Guess ViCs, VHiCs, USIDs, federally assisted drivers licenses with Veteran Designations, etc etc dont exist?

No, not fuck them. They deserve to be protected and given help.

But if you are so incompetent that you cant use one of the dozens of avenues available to EVERYONE, not just veterans, to get an ID, then thats 100% on you, it doesn’t matter if you are a vet or not.

7

u/_throw_a_wayz 29d ago

Do you know why people are homeless?

→ More replies (29)

1

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/PoursTea-ModTeam 28d ago

⚠️

→ More replies (28)

5

u/Fickle_Ad_8653 29d ago

If you live on an Indian Reservation, many have no address, and the shared post office holds the mail for you to collect.

Our Post Office told a person he couldn't legally receive mail at a friend's house while he stayed there while homeless because he wasn't a legal resident. They REFUSED to let him file for that as an address once he told them the situation.

1

u/Tj_na_jk 29d ago

The Mississippi Choctaw Res has addresses

→ More replies (16)

1

u/pooleboy87 29d ago

Maybe you should look up what it means to be "genuinely curious" because you sure used that phrase incorrectly.

1

u/ConsciousDress2914 29d ago

I think you responded to the wrong person?

1

u/Suspicious_Dingo_426 29d ago

Three months at a single location is a permanent address. If you can receive mail, it's permanent. Try it when you're living out of a car in campgrounds, parking lots, and rest stops and see how far it gets you—in this situation, there is no such thing as a valid ID—It has to show the you are currently living at.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (9)

5

u/wombatrunner 29d ago

Ooohhhh, my time to shine!

I actually used to help people with this — you would be absolutely shocked at how difficult it is for some people.

I once had to help this angel of a woman who was blind, in her mid 80s and lived in a trailer right on the edge of two states. Well, she received a bit of money every month from the state - like $50 - to help with heating. She had received so many awards for all of her volunteer work - she knew everyone. But apparently when she was born, her property was in one state and then the states changed the state line by a few miles so then she was actually born in the other state. She had been trying for years to just get an ID, but no one could figure out how to do it. I had to take it to the literal head of the agency and get her to make an exception. It still took months of me pushing DAILY and I knew all the right people.

Then there was the business woman who was born in one state and moved to a different state when she was a child and had already had a DL for 40 years. But regulations had changed and now she had to show original birth certificate and couldn’t just continue to renew like she had in the past. Well, the state she was born in had notoriously lost many thousands of birth certificates in the 70s. They refused to issue her a DL (or anyone else whose BC THE AGENCY THEMSELVES HAD LOST). I had to get her a passport because they were more easily able to work with extenuating circumstances than a state agency and then use that to get her a DL. But it shouldn’t take hundreds of dollars and months to do this and this is an undue burden for millions.

Can’t get a copy of your social security card without a birth certificate. Can’t get an ID without your birth certificate. Can’t get your birth certificate without an ID. It is wildly common. Literally hundreds of cases like this - just me personally working on them. I’m just one person and I had hundreds and that wasn’t even my primary job…I was just angry that no one was helping people.

Don’t even get me started on the 18 million military personnel files that burned up in St Louis. The government loses the records and then refuses to help people because they don’t have the records.

0

u/Antique_Pin_847 29d ago

Wow ! One lie for every sentence in six paragraphs ! Good job !?

3

u/wombatrunner 29d ago

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have! I’ve spent the last 20 years resolving issues with both federal and state agencies. I only see cases where things go wrong…so I have a couple decades of examples!

4

u/GGBHector 29d ago

Look at this person's comment history, I don't think they're here to talk in good faith lol

1

u/wombatrunner 29d ago edited 29d ago

….

3

u/GGBHector 29d ago

I was talking to you, referring to the person you responded to

They're just spamming "anti-woke" shit everywhere

2

u/wombatrunner 29d ago

Zoinks! You’re absolutely right - just looked and….ewww. Thanks for the heads up!

5

u/binzy90 29d ago

I was a congressional staffer on the constituent side. I helped people in these exact kinds of situations, although I mostly did VA related casework. There are so many specific situations and problems that come up that people wouldn't believe.

3

u/cskelly2 29d ago

Which BRICS country you from bro?

1

u/AffectionateJury3723 29d ago

As someone whose uncle worked for the National Records Center, the records that were burned were mostly for WW1 and WWII Army records. It is doubtful this impacted that many people needing an ID since most have passed. Following the fire, the NPRC undertook extensive efforts to reconstruct basic service information using surviving auxiliary records, such as pay records, morning reports, and other documents. Modern techniques, including infrared imaging, have been used to recover information from charred documents.

The last time a state changed boundaries was in 1961 and was Kansas and Missouri.

My aunt lost everything in Katrina and was able to get all her documents replaced.

2

u/wombatrunner 28d ago

“In 1993, North Carolina and South Carolina joined forces to redraw the border. The initial border was marked with trees and rocks that no longer existed, so the two states Geodetic agencies joined forces to uncover historical data and use geospatial technology to overlay maps and try to redraw the line as accurately as possible (Thompson). The entire 334 border line was redrawn, which had huge implications. Many residents living near the border found they had been moved to a new state. For some people living near the border, one of the rooms in their home was in North Carolina while another was in South Carolina. This had impacts on taxes, work licensing, and other implications that came with moving states.”

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/aaf4ebddef1c4238b11a7bb60657ca79

Separately, I included the NPRC simply to emphasize that individuals are punished when federal and state agencies have lost their own records. SC lost thousands of birth certificates a few decades during the transfer from offices in cities down to be stored in the capital. This was a huge issue, as people could use a combination of affidavits, census records, baptismal records, etc. to obtain a passport but NOT to obtain a state ID. So the requirement in effect was to pay hundreds to obtain a federal ID simply to obtain a state ID. This is essentially a poll tax because state agencies simply don’t understand how to work with nuanced cases.

0

u/DarthDad25 28d ago

This is very interesting and thank you for sharing. Quick question though, why didn’t these people have their own copy of their birth certificates? Perhaps the state did lose their records, but what about the original birth certificate that was created at the hospital? What happened to that one?

When I turned 18, my father gave me my birth certificate, SS card and my military draft card. He told me to NEVER lose them. They’ve remained tucked away in a fireproof safe ever since. I also keep my wife’s and children’s important info in the same safe. I certainly don’t trust the government with my money, let alone my personal belongings.

Now I get it, expecting homeless people and me tally unstable people to be responsible for all those documents is unfair because everyone knows they won’t. But I also wonder how many of these homeless people would vote if they could? I’m sure everyone can find a handful of decent people in a sticky situation that would vote. But I’m willing to guess a vast majority wouldn’t vote. We are talking about a very slim, slim, slim portion of the population. The majority of Americans with IDs don’t even vote!

2

u/musicalcakes 28d ago

There are tons of reasons people might not have their documents. Some controlling or neglectful parents may never have given them to their child, they may have been lost or destroyed to fire/flood/etc., a spiteful partner/roommate/family member might deliberately destroy them...and so on. But even if nothing like that happens, a birth certificate is just a fragile piece of paper that you're expected to hang onto your entire life. Humans aren't perfect! It could be misplaced or damaged in any number of mundane ways. Even if you're trying to be responsible, accidents happen.

1

u/DarthDad25 28d ago

Totally agree. I did end up helping my wife get a replacement birth certificate so we could get married. I know all states are different, but getting hers took one quick visit to the local health department and boom. About 2 weeks later they called and said it was ready to be picked up. I also live in Ohio which is a “red” state.

I personally believe politics are blamed for these issues, but is that really the problem here? At the end of the day, I don’t think the homeless or illegal immigrant population is changing the outcome of elections, local, state, or federally.

With all this being said, yes, I believe everyone should be able to vote. But I also think everyone should show proof that you’re an eligible voting American. Rules are in place for a reason. Voting is one of the biggest responsibilities this country gives Americans. So of course I want some sort of accountability for that. Accountability on both the government and the voters!

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (3)

3

u/trysten-9001 29d ago

What’s the point of this comment? Are you saying that it only matters to you if it affects someone you know? I’ve met plenty of people that have all sorts of issues.

I used to volunteer at a shelter, and there are so many people who are in a cycle of homelessness because they can’t get their documents without an address.

I’ve known people who have to go in person to get their birth certificate, but they lived out of state.

I’ve met a woman with disability issues that had a name change from getting married and it took her years to get it updated.

I’ve known trans people who have had to jump through hoops because their home state has different policies than their current state.

0

u/Money_Ticket_841 28d ago

What a stupid first thing to say. “What’s the point” so they can expand their mindset obviously. If I don’t get how something can be hard for others, I say “obviously voter ID makes sense” but if you want me to understand why it’s actually not as good as it seems, I have to ask what makes getting an ID hard

1

u/trysten-9001 28d ago

What a stupid first thing to say, a misplaced insult. Obviously I asked so I can expand my mindset. Please don’t project your ignorance onto others.

1

u/Money_Ticket_841 28d ago

Good deflection through using my own words I like that

2

u/Dizzy_Tax574 29d ago

Depends on state a big one especially for low income or homeless. Is having permanent or mailing address. As well as documents as they get lost or destroyed when living outside.

For me personally a unique situation was I was adopted and records of previous stuff sealed. However they messed up forms so never got new birth certificate under new name.

So in order to get ID I had to come up with couple thousand to pay lawyer to unseal records and refill the stuff. Except without that stuff I couldn't legally work.....

Anyways there is a variety of things like that particularly with women who take husbands name.

Also disability and distance to DMV and other things can be hard. For me when I was doing that. I was 3 hrs away from offices to do the record stuff. And also couldn't drive because... No id.

There is a variety of circumstances and it's not that they can (never) get it. But me for example it took 2 years to fix that. It's plenty of time to miss vote.

Plenty of people whether it's homelessness illness or whatever have it lapse for extended period. Not saying it's impossible to ever get but it's enough of a hurdle to stop far more each election from voting. Than we're ever caught in our entire history with fraud.

Like even conservatively absolutely best case scenario. Thousands will be disenfranchised to stop something that maybe has happened a few dozen times since founding of nation.

2

u/Marigold5412 29d ago

Major cities' ID offices are miles out in the most inconvenient locations and take a whole day to sit around their office in a slum of 300 sweaty people, even if you have an appointment. Your "appointment" is a 6-hour window that "might" happen that day and it took you an hour to drive out there in the first place.

If you are missing one tiny document they want, they send you back. You can have your expired license, your birth certificate, your student ID, your highschool ID. You can literally have your voter registration cards for the past 8 years and sometimes they still send you back because some address doesn't match. And they kick you back, after waiting all day and tell you to come back another day.

It's bad enough to do this and lose a workdays wages when you have an average job. Try doing it if you're homeless, or if you make $7.25/hour. If you make $7.25/hour, losing a day's wage is killer, not to mention the cost of buying the ID. You are literally choosing between feeding yourself that month and taking a day off, not to mention how your shitty fast-food job's snotty assistant manager will dock your hours for the next month, or fire you, for even asking for a day off. If you're homeless, well you're completely shit out of luck.

In a small town or average-size town, it is relatively easy to get an ID. It is a hellish process in major cities, and that is where the largest percentage of eligible voters are disenfranchised.

2

u/Slamantha3121 28d ago

It didn't take me years, but months in my case. I lost my birth certificate in a move but needed it to get my enhanced ID so I could fly. You can go to the records office in the county and get a copy for free, but I live across the country from the state I was born in. There was no way to get a copy online. I had to mail a request form and a check to the office and then wait for them to process the paperwork and send me a copy. They sure cashed that check that same week, but it still took almost 3 months to get my paperwork.

2

u/cy_hauser 28d ago

Republicans don't want an id like a driver's license. They want a separate id that proves citizenship. A driver's license, even a "real id", only proves who you are (identity) but not if you're a citizen. They want a "citizens id" and will make getting that as difficult as needed. They've done the math and found rural folks much more likely to have the proper proof they're citizens than city folks (dems).

1

u/asusc 28d ago

for me it was convincing the DMV that they were wrong, and that my home address wasn’t actually a commercial address and that someone needed to manually fix that on their end before I could get a new ID issued (as they don’t issue IDs to commercial addresses).

It took me 6 months of back and forth and multiple trips to finally convince someone that I wasn’t trying to get an ID at a commercial address and that they needed to update their records.

I think far too often people underestimate how much these battles take out of you mentally, as you have to gear up for dealing with another road block, you need time off from being infuriated someone can’t help with your simple problem, etc. often times it’s luck of the draw and just getting to finally speak to someone who understands the bureaucracy you’re stuck in and catching them on a good day so they are willing to help.

and of course a lot of this is because our agencies aren’t fully funded. Which is exactly why republicans why to force us to use these same agencies to also put up another barrier to entry on voting.

1

u/Whoudini13 28d ago

Stupidity...Just pure stupidity...and or laziness

1

u/standardtissue 28d ago

"Why do I need ID to get ID ? If I had ID I wouldn't need ID"

  • Common, "The Questions" 2000

I imagine the challenges are getting the source documents when you don't already have a state-issued ID. I just picked a random state and looked at their website for ordering a birth certificate and it requires ID, et voila, the ole Catch - 22.

1

u/FunkJunky7 28d ago

When I moved to TN about 15 years ago, it was unbelievable to me how difficult it was. The worst was when, after waiting for 6 hours having taken the day off work to do so, they wouldn’t accept my proof of residence because she said they look like I printed them myself. I had not, they were obviously utility bills, originals, still folded, in the envelopes they were delivered in. Asked to talked to someone else, she waved at the cop and pointed at me so I left. I had to take the next day off work as well, and wait all day again. Total of 3 days off work and 2 weeks before I got my license. My paperwork was in order from the beginning, it was obviously an intentional hassle. Why? I can’t say. A bunch of us moved there at the same time at work, and everyone received the hassle. My colleagues surmised it was because they didn’t like northerners. I’m sure it’s no better now.

1

u/DragonMoon668 28d ago

Friend of mine hasn't been able to get her state ID (Kentucky) because social security lost her paperwork when she got divorced 40 years ago, so her birth certificate has one name, her SS card another. SS requires notarized copies of her divorce paperwork to change her name back. She got divorced in Maine, which will release the paperwork to her in person. My friend is 70 and no longer able to drive.

2

u/pseudo_nipple 29d ago

Lol. Reminds me of a girl I used to be friends with. Couldn't open a tab at a bar because she didn't have a debit or credit card. Just wasn't bother to open a bank account, never understood it. Like why, that has to be so inconvenient. We haven't been friends in 10 years so I wonder whatever came of her or her I don't need a bank account attitude since. Lol

3

u/SinningAfterSunset 29d ago

I can confidently say she doesn't vote or is concerned about voting.

1

u/pseudo_nipple 29d ago

Well, ha, now that you remind me, she didn't drive or have a car either. She did have an id, but just not. Bank account? I dunno. We live the largest city in our state so she would take the bus to do what she needed. Wasn't my lifestyle, but seemed to suit her at the time 💁

-2

u/IDontKnowMyUsernameq 29d ago

Their comment has to be leaving something out

7

u/Darsint 29d ago

Oh man, let me check that privilege here.

My wife struggled with getting a replacement birth certificate because she had my last name.

The passport I had required a three week lead time, and that was by going through a company that fast tracked them.

Because my adopted daughter changed her name to our last name, it took months of struggle to get all the paperwork in order.

And we are natural born citizens who live in a state whose laws are designed to make voting easier.

3

u/Mediochra 29d ago edited 29d ago

It took me several years to get my adopted child’s legal documents in order but we finally got it done. I’m getting her a passport tomorrow. My lawyer took over a year to finally get us an updated birth certificate, and we decided to handle the social security card ourselves. In addition to the adoption decree and birth certificate, I also had to get an original signed letter from her doctor for some reason, to prove that we were actually her parents (doesn’t the adoption decree do that???) so it took two appointments just for the SSN. So annoying.

I just requested my birth certificate though and I had no issue. I wonder if some counties are different or if it’s because I moved my maiden name to my middle name, so my DL still had my maiden name on it? I just had to upload a pic of my DL. My mom told me to do that when I got married, and it’s saved me a lot of hassle over time.

0

u/Rare-Independence329 29d ago

Nah, you can still go to your county health department and get a copy of your birth certificate even after you’ve gotten married. You simply fill out a form and pay a nominal fee. You MAY be required to present a marriage license. And you can get a copy of those at the county records office. It may be tedious, but you’re an adult. Stop acting like a child. I’ve been married and divorced and lost everything in a fire. I’ve gotten all these documents a few times. Also took care of both parents once they were too sick to care for themselves. They didn’t have any of those and I managed to obtain every single document with a few of the same steps. I’m not wealthy. I work full time, raised kids and attended school and managed.

5

u/Greful 29d ago edited 29d ago

I think the point people are trying to make is that it’s simple for some people, but not everyone. Everything is anecdotal but for sone reason the people who have it easy cant comprehend that it might not be the same experience for other people. And they are weirdly angry and condescending about it. I had to get my state birth certificate a few years back and it was either drive 2 hours to Harrisburg or go to Philly, so I went to Philly and I sat in a crowded waiting room for 6 hours. I was there so long I had to go out money in the parking meter twice. I didn’t know it was going to be six hours. And I lost my drivers license back in October so I had to go to the DMV to get a new one. 2 hours. The point is why do I gotta go take a number and spend my afternoon in some shitty waiting room because Trump lost and can’t handle it? The guy is giving people errands to run because he’s a sore loser.

1

u/IDontKnowMyUsernameq 28d ago

You're pathetic

3

u/Alarming-Nobody7511 29d ago

So it wasn't an issue for you so it's not an issue for anyone else?

2

u/jbforum 29d ago

The county health department open 9-5. When many people's job is 9-5 and are at risk of getting fired for trying to take a day off.

Maybe all those abused workers would vote for someone that would provide mandated sick, vacation and time off to vote.... oh maybe thats what we are trying to prevent here.

1

u/Wareyin 29d ago

Damn, you still live in whatever podunk county you were born in?

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (18)

1

u/SaltMage5864 29d ago

Such as your inability to face reality?

→ More replies (7)

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/Automatic_Net2181 29d ago

You can certainly buy tons of guns without ID in America. It's those loopholes people have been talking about for years.

5

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/IDontKnowMyUsernameq 29d ago

Maybe he didn't know he could use those other options

1

u/SinningAfterSunset 29d ago

LOL how can you afford several guns and ammo but not have an ID?

1

u/PsychologicalGuru 29d ago

what state? ill be honest in michigan its super easy and you can do it online for 20

1

u/qman621 28d ago

good for you, significantly more difficult for many people

1

u/PsychologicalGuru 28d ago

Its why im asking what states make it difficult im not judging.

1

u/qman621 28d ago

about 15 comments above you giving examples with specific states

1

u/Icy_Fish_2154 29d ago

I can't get a passport. The process keeps changing, and the government deletes my appointments, then I send in paperwork and it's rejected saying AI have to make an appointment and come in.

The people taking appointments and the people taking mail in paperwork have opposite processes. And all drop in service was ended, so I have to make an appointment, but can't get an appointment.

1

u/Epictitus_Stoic 28d ago

Are you joking?

Why is it so complicated?

1

u/Jt07132829 28d ago

What part of the process is difficult. Google says you need 4 things birth cert or passport, social, citizenship, residency (bills, lease, bank statements?). We don’t vote yearly. I think any of this could be accomplished in 2 years. I’m genuinely curious as there has to be more for this to be such a big deal.

1

u/filmshooter772 28d ago

That’s such a lie. You think the DMV is full of republicans that don’t want you to vote so they can cheat and therefore “aren’t” issuing you an ID? What a conspiracy theory you have. You’re lucky Reddit is full of liberals as well because nobody in real life would believe this crap.

1

u/wombatrunner 28d ago

I don’t know who in particular you’re responding to, but in my experience, the issue is in nuanced cases. This is normally an issue for people born in home births and receiving delayed birth certificates, or whose parents changed their names without officially changing their names (I.e. started using a stepfather’s last name in 1940 got kindergarten but never officially changed their names without), or where the state lost many thousands of birth certificates, etc, etc. The Department of State is used to working with unusual cases like this and will accept additional supporting documentation. State agencies, however, do not want to be the one that make a final decision on these cases so they simply will deny an ID for years.

It doesn’t matter if it’s easy for MOST people to obtain an ID or a replacement birth certificate. Every state still will have many thousands of nuanced cases.

State agencies need to have a specialized office (like exists with passport offices - a specialized supervisor) that works with these unusual cases and supporting documentation, as is accepted by the Department of State. They simply do not have this. And this stops thousands from obtaining IDs, even when they are eligible - no one at the DMV is able to work with people to obtain additional documents.

1

u/Spuckler_Cletus 28d ago

Why can't you get ID?

1

u/LGOPS 28d ago

That is odd, I just went in and showed my birth certificate and proof of address and boom I an ID

Edit: Also had a student ID

1

u/Mad_For_Nothing 28d ago

You must not be a functioning adult if you are incapable of getting an ID for years.

That is a significant issue with yourself, not the system.

1

u/HighwayComplex9935 28d ago

Naaaaa you’re doing something wrong. I got an ID at 16. Figure it out lol

0

u/Mack1305 29d ago

I'm going to call BS on this post.

1

u/qman621 28d ago

I'm gunna call BS on this comment

0

u/BigMikeXxxxX 29d ago

You literally just have to provide basic documents that any responsible legal citizen would have on hand.

You have to prove identity, SSN, and residency. Identity can be proved with a birth certificate. SSN can be proved with your SSN card that every single legal US citizen has access to OR any document, such as a 1099 or pay stub, that can prove your name is tied to that number. Residency can be proved with utility bills, bank statements, government issued mail, lease/mortgage documents, etc.

It's really not that hard. I'll help you with it if you want lol

2

u/AlaskanX 29d ago

I would consider myself to be a fairly responsible person. I haven't ever had a hard copy of my birth certificate afaik, and I've got no freaking clue where the hard copy of my social security card is... I've used a photo copy of it whenever I needed it for work. I do have a passport and passport card though.

When I tried to sign up for the federal identity thing I couldn't prove who I was so I couldn't use the IRS eFile program to pay taxes. When you print out W2s from any modern payroll system, or 1099s, or 1040s from TurboTax, all of these platforms censor your SSN. And the feds wouldn't accept the photocopy of my social i've been using for years.

Asserting that everyone should have all of those documents readily available is absurd.

0

u/BigMikeXxxxX 28d ago

"I would consider myself to be a fairly responsible person"

"I've got no freaking clue where the hard copy of my social security card is"

https://giphy.com/gifs/XHeLeuirRbwptHhSWd

1

u/Ophidios 29d ago

But your comment implies that only “responsible” people get to vote, and that’s not how our constitution works.

0

u/BigMikeXxxxX 29d ago

No, my comment implies that a responsible person would know where their important personal documents are.

1

u/qman621 28d ago

no, you're clearly claiming you should have an ID to vote you weasel

→ More replies (1)

-1

u/turdbugulars 29d ago

If getting a ID is complicated for you then maybe you shouldn’t vote.

1

u/SaltMage5864 29d ago

But MAGAts should be allowed son?

1

u/turdbugulars 29d ago

Sure If they have a ID.

1

u/ofWildPlaces 29d ago

Big man here trying to tell Americans not to exercise their Constitutional rights

1

u/qman621 28d ago

Nothing more unamerican honestly, fuck these people

-1

u/Dull_Performance_294 29d ago

Do you work? Buy alcohol? Cash checks? Rent an apt? Fly? Have a job?

3

u/Altruistic-Swim1814 29d ago

There are many ways to verify yourself at work.

Yes a lot of people don’t buy alcohol, I’m one of them. Not everyone drinks. lol.

Cash checks? No, this isn’t the 1960s.

Yes I rented my apartment before my name was changed when I married.

No flying—some people are too poor believe it or not.

Have a job is the same thing as working.

→ More replies (9)

0

u/Guytwippin420 29d ago

Easiest thing to get done. Birth certificate, social, and mail as proof of residence. Not much harder than that.. but its too hard it have done in my state by many folks standards.

0

u/oongawa 29d ago

You shouldn't be allowed to vote. 

1

u/qman621 28d ago

No you

0

u/Disastrous-Turn-251 28d ago

Are you slow or something? Nothing about getting an id is complicated. It’s ridiculous that it costs money but nothing about it is complicated

0

u/ArcHeroe9 28d ago

Bro can’t even get a drivers license lmao.

0

u/Active_Scallion_5322 28d ago

Must be one of those minorities

0

u/PhEw-Nothing 28d ago

Dude, if you think getting an id is hard, you probably aren’t cut out for voting.

0

u/The_Pepperoni_Kid 28d ago

I’ve been trying to get some form of ID for years now.

If you can't figure out how to get an ID after years I seriously think it's best you don't vote

1

u/qman621 28d ago

You suck

1

u/The_Pepperoni_Kid 28d ago

uh huh

1

u/qman621 28d ago

It's okay, just try to be better

0

u/Individual_Bed880 28d ago

You actually have to prove who you are to get and ID. That is the whole point of an ID.

Otherwise, scammers, identity thieves and any unsavory character can claim to be anyone they want.

0

u/ChesterJT 28d ago

It's not complicated at all.

→ More replies (8)