Trump’s executive order on voting rights. I may be misinterpreting this (correct me please if I am), but it sure sounds like you won’t be allowed to vote if you didn’t opt for a “RealID” version of your license. A regular driver’s license contains no information regarding citizenship status, at least in my state, so it wouldn’t count. A lot of low income people in rural America have skipped getting a “RealID” because it’s more expensive. If this order goes thru, that decision may cost them their right to vote. This could disenfranchise millions of low income voters.
Ok so I have to ask coming from Belgium where having an ID on you at all times is mandatory (and living in the Netherlands where having at least a drivers license on you at all times is mandatory since that also has all needed data unlike Belgium). Why is this even remotely a “hard” requirement? Do Americans just not need to carry ID on them?
Outside of the marked stuff it also states a Federal or State government-issued foto id is valid, hence the question.
No, you don’t need to carry ID on you — many people that don’t drive (and many others that do) don’t have IDs.
You’ll also note that the state-issued ID must indicate the holder is a US-citizen. Most states have an upgraded version (enhanced) ID/ Drivers License that can be used to this end but it typically requires additional verification and an added fee — it is not provided by default. Non-citizens such as visa-holders and even non-legal residents are also able to obtain a state-issued ID, though not an enhanced drivers license.
The second part of that clause mentions accompanyment of proof of citizenship. This is usually a birth certificate which is often lost and costs money and takes roughly a month for states to tender a copy to the “holder”. Not sure of other states, but at least the few I am aware of do not provide a legal copy by default. Instead these must be ordered from the state.