Paragraph to be revised: Essay claim: Laws requiring people to show photo identification
in order to vote decrease voter participation.
Lots of people don't have photo identification. Requiring people
to show photo identification to vote would keep those without
this type of identification from voting. Those who often don't
have identification include elderly individuals who no longer drive
and citizens living in high poverty areas where transportation is
limited. They would be denied the chance to vote. Sociologist
Mark Abernathy writes, "requiring photo identification in order to
vote essentially eliminates a whole population of American
voters. These voters are part of society, but they are denied a
basic right guaranteed to all Americans over the age of eighteen.
Elections are then determined by only a portion of the population,
not the entire population" (page 820 of the article "Photo
Identification Disenfranchisement"). Some people think this is
just not true. Ria Olberson, an economist at Alabaster University,
states, "few Americans are without drivers' licenses. Even if the
license is expired or revoked, it still counts as photo
identification. To claim that requiring identification
disenfranchises a segment of the American population is simply
inaccurate" (page 101). Olberson is just wrong! A lot of people