To the editor:
New voter identification requirements discriminate against some first-time, low-income voters. In fact, the limited list of ID accepted by the secretary of state inadvertently disenfranchises a sizable part of this population, namely the homeless and "precariously housed."
For the majority of first-time voters, including these groups, the only acceptable forms of ID (except passports and Medicare/Medicaid cards) must show both name and the address at which they are registered. In other words, it's not enough just to show a driver's license, the ID most people use daily. The license must also show the address at which the voter is registered.
Interestingly, these Kansas ID requirements are more lenient for students and military personnel, whose ID need not show any address. This is sensible, because residence in these populations is often transient and it can be difficult to provide ID bearing the address at which they are registered. But the same logic should apply to the homeless and precariously housed, because they too are unlikely to have permanent addresses. In Lawrence, for instance, homeless voters often register at a shelter, an address at which they are unlikely to receive any official mail. This makes it very difficult to prove identity by Kansas standards. Other states allow alternative methods of proving identity, such as by affidavit or witness testimony. Unless Kansas makes it easier for voters without a permanent address to cast their ballot, we risk making status as a renter or property owner the minimum qualification to vote.
Caleb Morse,
president, League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County
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