Voter and Voter Turnout Name Institution Instructor Course Date Voter and Voter Turnout Describe Voter ID Laws In A State Of Your Choosing
Voter and Voter Turnout
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Institution
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Voter and Voter Turnout
Describe Voter ID Laws In A State Of Your Choosing. Summarize Any Recent Developments or Controversies Regarding Voter ID Laws in the State You Have Chosen
Voter ID laws are laws in the voting process which require that individuals provide official identification to facilitate registration in the voting register and to enable them to be allowed to vote on the election day (Eboch, 2018). This is meant to prevent election fraud and allow a credible and a fair election process. In the state of Arizona, individuals are allowed to register as voters through an online platform, voters are also allowed to cast their ballots before the actual voting day, and all voters are eligible to vote absentee. The voting time is from 6 a.m to 7 p.m. To vote in the state of Arizona, one must be 18 years old or older, a citizen of the United States, and a resident in the state of Arizona (Leshy & Arizona, 2013).
Registration to vote should be done 29 days before the Election Day, which can be done online, by mail, or through the county recorder’s office. During the registration, an individual should present proof of citizenship (Leshy ; Arizona, 2013). Documents allowed as proof of citizenship include passports, birth certificates, and the United States naturalization documents. On June 4, 2018, the secretary of the state of Arizona Michele Reagan stated that proof of citizenship would not be required for individuals who have provided such proof in the department of motor vehicle (Ballotpedia, 2018). Individual who had already been registered without any proof of citizenship would also be allowed to cast ballots in federal elections. The United States Supreme court however rejected these enactments and all citizens registering to vote in federal elections must show proof of citizenship (Ballotpedia, 2018).
Pros and Cons about These Laws. Is Voter Fraud A Major Problem For Our Democracy Or Are Some Groups Trying To Make It Harder For Some Segments Of Society To Vote
Voter ID laws are meant to protect voter’s rights and not discriminate them. Providing identity prevents election fraud, which is a common threat for all elections across the world (Eboch, 2018). However, these laws have been struck down in some counties. This law prohibits some eligible voters to vote because they do not have valid identification. This law is not effective in eliminating the possibility of fraud in the election (Eboch, 2018). This law also gives non-citizens a difficult time in accessing their right to vote. Voter fraud is not a major problem in the United States (Eboch, 2018). Integrity of elections is the most important aspect of the elections and the voter ID laws have prevented voter fraud without undermining the free and fair elections, which is also important. A majority of the voter fraud cases has proved baseless and fraud is not widespread in the United States (Eboch, 2018).
Impact of the Media in Influencing Public Opinion Regarding Voter ID Laws
The media has a high impact in influencing public opinion regarding voter ID laws. The media plays a huge role in informing the public about election laws and policies, which have an impact on the way citizens, make their decisions (Warner, Bystrom, McKinney, & Banwart, 2018). The media can use political information in influencing the decisions made by the public. This can be done through key highlights and discussions, which has a huge influence on the public (Warner et al., 2018). This is a contributing factor in controlling the public concerning voter ID laws. Voter laws and the media impacted the Trump/Clinton election in 2016. The media indicated a lead for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. The media also focused on the developments and strategies of the two candidates highlighting their objectives and goals, which influenced the voters (Warner et al., 2018).
References
Ballotpedia. (2018). Voting in Arizona. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Voting_in_Arizona
Eboch, M. M. (2018). Voting rights and voter ID laws. New York: Green haven Publishing.
Leshy, J. D., & Arizona. (2013). The Arizona State Constitution. New York: Oxford University Press.
Warner, B. R., Bystrom, D. G., McKinney, M. S., & Banwart, M. C. (2018). An unprecedented election: Media, communication, and the electorate in the 2016 campaign. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.
