The student body here at the University of Wisconsin is one known for its political activism and strong opinions on varying topics. During the past presidential election, our campus was flooded with student activists and others who were working on “Get Out the Vote” campaigns. Chances are, though, by the next election, many students as well as senior citizens will find it difficult to cast their vote, no matter what their political preference may be.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the mudslinging between the Republicans and Democrats has increased with the recent GOP proposal of the Voter ID bill. The article “Voter ID Fight Heats Up” discusses the advertising plan constructed by the Democrats in order to expose the intentions of state Republicans. The Democrats are, writes the State Journal, “Accusing Republicans of trying to disenfranchise the poor and elderly in Wisconsin with a bill requiring voters to show identification before casting ballots.”

If the state of Wisconsin requires photo identification in order to vote, everyone who does not have a passport or a driver’s license will face huge obstacles in order to secure their right to vote.

There are hundreds of teenagers and young adults from major cities who never got around to getting their driver’s licenses and are too young to need a photo identification to buy alcohol. The likelihood of someone being able to survive day-to-day life without having photo identification is far too high to let this bill pass.

Because we are such a notoriously politically active student body it is important to be aware of how severe the consequences of this legislation could be. Although many may wonder how hard it can be to get a state issued identification card, regardless of your driving or traveling habits, it is unlikely that senior citizens, especially those who may be disabled, will go to the trouble of acquiring photo identification. Our classmates, too, could easily be affected.

It is also evident that this bill is unfair and may be unconstitutional. The 14th amendment protects a citizen’s right to vote. It seems with the institution of legislation like the Voter ID bill our right to vote would be infringed upon.

A website has been constructed for the purpose of fighting this bill. The website, “www.protectmyvote.org,” is a direct attack on the Republicans who support the bill. The headline on the site reads “Republicans do not want you to vote.” In addition to explaining exactly what the bill says and what the consequences for the voters of Wisconsin would be should the proposed law pass, the site provides statistics on exactly how many people would be affected by the bill. The site claims that 100,000 people in Wisconsin would be deprived of their voting rights by this bill, and it would severely discriminate against “seniors, poor and young voters by creating unnecessary and artificial impediments to exercising their constitutional right.”

A GOP spokesman confirmed that the number of people in Wisconsin who do hold a photo ID is around 3.8 million. This number was retrieved from the Department of Motor Vehicles research that was conducted in 2004, and only includes those who are age 18 or above.

Many may wonder why, exactly, Republicans would want this bill to pass in the first place. Wouldn’t they lose votes in the long run, too? Liberals say no. The Democrats who express their views on the “protect my vote” website argue that Republicans want fewer people voting so fewer senior citizens will have a say on President Bush’s healthcare plans and other benefit-oriented legislation. With fewer liberal Wisconsinites voting there will be less opposition to Republican proposals.

Considering all of the other 49 states have either refused to pass legislation like this or not considered it at all, it is imperative that Wisconsin do so also. Tom Reynolds, a Republican state senator, recently stated that voting is, “A privilege, not a right.” That statement alone is proof that this bill will do nothing for genuine democracy in Wisconsin.

Emily Friedman ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.