Post date: Mar 21, 2020 9:5:22 PM
this feels like a forbidden thought, but here it goes:
elderly people are more susceptible to COVID-19, right? in the united states, elderly people are reliably the age group that has the highest voter turnout.
i wonder if, in the back of many politicians' minds .. especially of the conservatives .. there is this thought:
if we don't take care of the elderly right away ..
if they die or if they're even slightly worried that they don't go out and vote ..
.. then they can't vote for us.
so i predict:
widespread acceptance of absentee voting,
no change in ID application procedures.
maybe absentee voting will become normal in the United States, this year. without absentee voter registration that doesn't require high-speed internet, it could mean that underrepresented minorities stay under-represented in elections.
"researchers found that strict ID laws doubled the turnout gap between whites and Latinos in the general elections, and almost doubled the white-black turnout gap in primary elections. And given that their turnout models incorporate the known surge of turnout among minorities spurred by Barack Obama’s candidacy, they might actually be underestimating the overall suppression effects of voter ID law."
- via the_atlantic
to register to vote, you need an ID. in the united states, it means having a driver's license or a valid state ID [1] .. which both amount to being able to actually get to the DMV.
for the middle class, that's not impossible. you take one of your vacation days, drive your car to the DMV, wait in line in short suburban lines, and get out of there in no time at all. there might be time for that dental appointment and maybe even stopping by the temple of Λpple.
for the urban working class, there are few-to-no vacation days. if you're in the service industry, like waiting tables, then a shift lost is money lost. there are some people who don't have cars, let alone have enough time not working to wait in line.
absentee voting could be great and lead to more voting. it could also amount to a poll tax of wages simply not earned, for those living paycheck to paycheck [2].
...
[1] in my state of residence, for example, you need to enter an official driver's license number in one of the requirements for online voter registration. as far as i know, no state has a mail-in driver's license application (barring renewals of already existing licenses).
[2] interestingly enough, living "paycheck to paycheck" isn't for the five-figures-and-under income crowd anymore.