A theme that I have followed in this blog is the question of whether it’s a good idea to require a picture ID of some kind before permitting a citizen to vote. In another article in the New York Times called “Republican Legislators Push to TIghten Voting Rules”, Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina had this quote:

***“If you have to show a picture ID to buy Sudafed, if you have to show a picture ID to get on an airplane, you should show a picture ID when you vote,”

Which is pretty convincing comment, on the face of it, isn’t it? Except:

  • Voting is far more important than buying a Sudafed. It’s far more serious injustice to be prevented from voting than from buying a Sudafed.

  • Not all flavors of Sudafed require Picture ID

  • It’s legal to have someone buy a Sudafed for me, it’s illegal to have someone vote for me.

  • Voting is restricted to happening on one specific day. You can always come back tomorrow to buy your Sudafed if you need it

  • Coincidentally there’s a good correlation between people (poor people, elderly people) who don’t have a picture ID. These people also happen to skew strongly Democratic.

  • Coincidentally there’s no such correlation between people who want or need to fly