The voter identification fights of recent months pale when compared with other issues, especially voter registration. Only half of eligible voters in the country are registered and few of them lack photo IDs…
Voter participation is low due to disinterest by eligible citizens, who don’t even bother to register to vote at all!
Without registering, the matter of voter ID is irrelevant.
Voting system plagues go far beyond ID
The registration issue is acute. Nearly every other advanced country maintains a national voter roll. In [the U.S.A.], which eschews a national identity card, there are 13,000 separate rolls maintained by counties, towns and municipalities.
Despite non-partisan efforts and suggestions to address shortcomings in national election procedure and design over the past 12 years, there has been little progress. This situation is due to politically-based contention from Republicans as well as Democrats. Proposed changes have been rejected by both parties.
Implementation of any of a variety of low-cost, feasible remedies seems even less likely now than it was four, or eight years ago.
