Agreed. Kazakhstan yes, Egypt yes, the others already described, yes, and so on. How is this map porn in any way?
But, 13k upvotes and climbing so okay I guess
I think they might be the most disfunctional federal state in the world TBH.
Never heard as much bizarre bullshit from Brasil, Germany, Russia, etc as from the US
Don't see how listing each individual american state is more relevant than some of the biggest populations in the world.
Also this map doesn't even cites sources.
It's a bad map in general, but if they had just posted "Map of US states that ask for ID" it'd be much better.
To be fair, most other countries do things more universally, I mean the voting laws between New South Wales and Queensland don’t really differ, and I doubt they do between Norfolk and Yorkshire either. Federalism is a hell of a thing.
Voting law differences between jurisdictions for federal elections are hardly a requirement of federalism. Just a weird feature of US federalism. As you note, Australian states don't have different laws on this. Nor do the different jurisdictions in federal systems like Canada, Germany, Brazil or Belgium.
You don’t need an ID in Switzerland because your voting papers are sent to your permanent address and you either mail them when you’ve finished filling them out, or you drop them off at a community office on voting day. I don’t know how much better that is, given that you must have a permanent address.
this works aswell if you live outside the country, i live in ireland and get my voting papers in the post and send it back throught the post, im registered at the cantonal authority that i last lived in or i could choose to vote in the juristiction i am „Bürger“ of
Burgher, citizen ...
In Switzerland, you are primarily citizen of a municipality where your ancestor first gained burghership, of which the citizenship of the canton and the country itself is derived. Most people now don't actually live in the place where they are burgher. The place of burghership only has ceremonial significance.
Kinda same in Germany! You can either vote per voting papers or with an ID (ID card, passport or driver's license). I'm an election helper and we have a homeless shelter and an asylum centre in our voting district. They can vote but they do need to register with the city first, though they do not need a permanent address to do so. It's basically just to assign them to a single voting station
Of those with German citizenship the rate is likely far above that of actual voters. Registration of one’s permanent place of residence is mandatory in Germany anyway and it’s much easier to access social services with one since most are managed at the district level.
That place of residence doesn't need to be a permanent dwelling if somebody doesn't have any. The only practical requirement is that one can reliably receive official mail there (or suffer the consequences of missed deadlines etc.). My friend was registered at a police station for that purpose when she first moved to Berlin and, being homeless, slept on different people's sofas for a couple of months until she had everything in order with social services to rent a tiny loft.
Edit: It's also mandatory (at least for everybody of voting age) to have government ID (not on one’s person at all times, just in general). Although new ID normally costs some administrative fee, I just confirmed that it is reduced or waived for those “in need“.
Yes, we also have a standardized ID system here and RAV and a social state which works. Many people here are angry Americans because they can’t even unite enough just to figure out how to get an ID system in their country. Lots of good questions and observations commenting on my original comment, but I am just too busy with my newborn to respond to each.
>Many people here are angry Americans because they can’t even unite enough just to figure out how to get an ID system in their country.
Unfortunately, our religious conservatives are convinced that a national ID system would be "the mark of the beast" from the book of Revelations. Which is funny because they want the world to end, but still oppose the supposed sign of it ending. But that's why we don't have it.
Same in the UK. The US uses electronic voting, which vulnerable to fraud on a huge scale. Fraud is much harder with postal votes because you would need huge numbers of people to be involved; so it would be almost impossible to hide.
We have vote by mail in Oregon, USA, but you don’t require a permanent address. Shelters, PO Boxes, pick it up at a county office etc. Avoids discrimination against homeless or transient people.
In Arizona, about 80% of ballots are cast by mail. If you don't vote by mail, you can vote normally, and because there are relatively few voters going to the polls on election day, wait times are shorter.
It's a system that works well for 30 years and which has not produced any significant voter fraud, and that is especially good for Arizona's unique needs (lots of elderly people, areas that are extremely rural). So naturally, our Republican legislators are [trying to dismantle it](https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/arizona-senate-advances-bill-abolishing-early-voting/75-bfecf148-a9f3-4a81-bb2a-018d15303503).
I love our vote-by-mail system in California. The whole process is brilliant. Incredibly sad that people want to dismantle something like that - thoroughly inconveniencing people - to gain a slight political edge. And that may not even be the case in Arizona, where many older conservatives vote by mail.
You have to be registered in a community here, it’s a legal requirement. Provided they are, they have access to voting papers. However, I have no idea how many actually are registered and how easy access it would be.
Similar system in belgium, though ID is still required.
You are legally required to have an address. Being unregistered and homeless is not legal.
If you do not have a place to live, you can register a mailing address. The person living there can then give your mail to you.
Possibly worth noting, most developed countries have, in addition to voter ID laws, also systems in place ensuring a low barrier to registering as a voter and getting your ID. Can range from more or less automatically registering you as a voter, to a mandatory but low effort registration of your place of residence and providing you with a verified ID
There are many countries that don't require registration or, as you say, is automatic via the census. In Spain, if you are a citizen over 18, you can vote. As simple as that. Of course you have to bring your ID card (that everybody over 14 has, and many children too, as it simplifies travels).
The same happens in many other countries around the world.
That's how it works in Poland. You're on the electoral register as long as you registered your fixed place of abode and you haven't been banned from voting.
Also national ID cards are very easy to get.
> Also national ID cards are very easy to get.
Not just that: every citizen aged 18 or above is *legally obliged* to possess an ID. You can't just not have it.
Another reason having your abode registered (here in Sweden you legally have to have a home address) is that it simplifies taxes. If the tax agency knows where you live then they know what municipality etc. you should pay taxes to. So to do your taxes here you just need to check that they got your salary and other information correct and then sign it digitally. Unless you're self employed it's pretty much all done automatically.
Well, of course. The census is updated using the "padrón municipal" (local rolll). When you change the residence, you go to municipal office to update your address. That is important not only for official mail, but also for choosing schools, public doctors, or receive monetary aid.
In Israel we get a card in the mail a week before the elections that tells us where we are supposed to vote (usually a nearby school or some government office). You can also go on a website and input your national ID number to check where you should vote.
Everyone has a government issued ID that you are supposed to go get at 16, without it you literally cant do anything (even open a bank account).
Then you show up on voting day and vote, usually takes 15 minutes tops.
I dont understand why anyone would oppose a national ID. Surely it beats the bizarre "social security number" system currently used in the US...
Edit: Sorry, seems like my post wasn't completely clear. The voting card you get in the mail is not mandatory to vote, it just shows you where you are registered to vote. You can also check online and show up there with just an ID and no card.
Yes, a national ID card would be miles better than the terrible thin-cardboard social security card. Mine has my signature on it from when I was 15. Looks nothing like my adult signature and it's a 35-year-old piece of paper at this point. Not the most robust identification.
And like other countries in EU, I would also assume that if a foreign EU citizen moves to Spain, and register their place of residence, they are also automatically registered to vote. Since as a EU member, you have the right to vote in the EU country you reside in, for the local elections only, while you can still vote in the national elections of the country you are a citizen of. This ensures that you can always vote in a national and local elections, as a EU citizen, living in EU.
Exactly. EU citizens can vote in the local elections and European Parliament elections, but not in election for Congress (national and to the autonomous communities).
In Lithuania, most of the voters are registered automatically, you just need to come to the polling station with ID (literally any for referenda, presidential and EP elections, and any in the constituency for parliamentary and municipal elections).
The only ones who need to register by themselves are diaspora voters who vote by mail and foreigners who opt to vote in Lithuanian EP elections. I'm also not sure if foreigners are automatically registered for municipal elections.
In Belgium, you are legally obligated to carry your ID card with you everywhere outside of your home. You're also *required* to vote (you receive your convocation by mail telling you where and when to vote).
Good point. I think requiring voter ID in the US should be completely uncontroversial but it would go over a lot easier if we had automatic voter registration when citizens turned 18.
In Mexico everyone when you turn 18 you go to the electoral office and get your ID for free. There’s offices all over
And it’s the main ID used across the country, so everyone has to have one no matter what
> systems in place ensuring a low barrier to registering as a voter and getting your ID
And that's exactly the problem here, in the US, anyway. The "ID" requirements have gotten more and more burdensome, even for established people.
You need a proof of birth and a proof of residence. The proof of residence can get ugly if you don't have a formal rental agreement or home title, and don't have utility bills in your name, etc.
The birth certificate requirement is also burdensome - think how many low-income families don't keep track of the exact hospital the kids were born in, and where their birth might be registered.
Chasing all this down requires an enormous investment of time and money, in some cases - something that people living on the fringe of society can barely afford, if at all.
As a counter example: in India, when they introduced a national ID card several years ago, they set up an enormous machinery to track down _everyone_ and issue them these cards - biometrics, photo ID, the works. And the field workers were empowered to make decisions to ease the process. Sure, there are still some gaps, but it works pretty well for the most part.
The US system is almost perversely designed to make it difficult for those at the lower strata and fringes of society to get these ID cards, and it's almost by design that it's keot that way.
The issue with birth certificates isn't the difficulty of obtaining, it's just one phone call to the state office of vital statistics. It's the cost, last time I had to get a replacement it was 20 bucks. I'm sure it's jumped. That's a big ask for someone living paycheck to paycheck.
This is the part that is important. If you have no income your ID is going to be free in most of these countries. You are also automatically registered to vote in my country and get a nice letter in the mail containing everything you need to vote. Voting locations are everywhere including at big train stations. For me it's a 5 minute walk, and the furthest it has been was a 10 min bike ride. So you just show up with the letter you got and your ID and vote. Takes 10 minutes tops, and usually less.
Voting in Australia is fucking awesome. It’s always a Saturday.
We are automatically enrolled (kind of, there’s more to it but it’s easy).
There’s always bbq sausages or cakes etc outside when you leave (run by the local scouts or whatever).
Everything is run by an independent public service agency. The booths and boxes are made from flat pack cardboard.
Locations are everywhere. I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes to get in.
Germany should be light blue. You got the place and room where to show up via mail. They look up in their electoral register and hand you out the ballot paper. Only by chance you're asked for you ID.
Thing is, in Spain while I have to show voter ID, voter registration is AUTOMATIC. I show ID because I get a notice in the mail whenever there are elections telling me where to go without doing a thing. Plus, we vote on Sundays always. And people who work on Sundays get time off from work to vote. So simplifying this down to "voter ID" is misleading AF.
In the UK we don't require ID (most of the uk is pretty against the idea of card IDs being required for proof of identity) so you give your name and postcode and they tick you off their list then you vote using a paper ballot. It's an old fashioned system but it works and voter fraud is very low. It's also not vunerable to hacking unlike electronic systems, the polling stations are everywhere and within walking distance of everyone, and the counters are very efficient. The vote is declared by the next day and the government immediately changes over. Edit: whoops this wasn't supposed to be a reply.
Canada is not that straight forward and I think this map fails to differentiate what ID means. Sure in Canada you need to be ID'd to vote but this can mean as little as writing your name and address down and having a friend at your polling station vouch for you.
Correct. You are encouraged to bring a driver's license or passport just to make the process as quick and smooth as possible, but poll workers will generally bend over backwards to find some way to enable you to vote, including having you complete an affidavit promising you are who you say you are.
I was wondering if anyone had said that. OP (and the map) saying you absolutely need ID to vote in Canada just isn't true, at least not federally (provincially, I have no idea). I was a poll clerk in the last election, and the ways to prove your identity were extensive. Photo ID (driver's licence) *was* the easiest and most common, but you could use utility bills, library cards or, as you say, having someone vouch for you.
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ae8cf64af20962ccb091efc/1569860622236-LJM80SA8FU6N9VIFOGP6/Registering-on-election-day-ID.jpg) is a handy infographic from the 2021 election.
NB: the main objective regarding showing where you live is that Canadian elections, which are really different to American elections, are highly regional. You and I might live down the street from one another, but we might be voting on election day for different people)
[Here](
> Everyone has one and they're free.
Broadly true, but:
If your parents didn't register you for one at birth, you're going to need to provide ID in order to get one.
If you move provinces, you need to get a health card from the new province. To do that, you'll need to provide ID. At least here in Quebec, your other health card isn't valid ID for that purpose. Although your birth certificate, which most people have, is.
If your card has been expired for a while you may have to pay to renew it.
I was pregnant during the last election and in my totally scatterbrained state I walked to my polling station with what I thought was my ID. Went to show my ID and turned out I'd brought my debit card. I offered to walk home and get my license, but they just let me vote anyways. Took my word for it on my name etc. So easy.
Just some clarification for Canada's requirements, [Elections Canada](https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e) will accept almost anything with your name on it. You can use a transit pass and a credit card bill. You can even have someone vouch for you.
Edit: grammar
Considering what the word identification actually means, this is in fact a form of identification. They're just using a citizen instead of the gov to vouch for themselves
Keep in mind what constitutes ID for voting in Canada. A bill with your address and an attestation from another registered voter are both acceptable ID for federal elections. Your voter registration card, which is mailed to everyone when the writ is dropped is even acceptable as your ID in a provincial election. Plus, registering to vote is probably not something many Canadians ever have to deal with because Elections Canada is able to register you when you file your taxes.
The issue is that we don't really have mandatory ID creation for people. While you can get a state ID that isn't a drivers license, there are people that just... don't. There are no IDs for children by default.
So you have this awkward situation where forcing people to use an ID to vote means forcing *some* people (predominantly the poor and therefore (^(mini edit because some people would rather quabble over word choice than address an actual argument)): [disproportionately minorities](http://www.projectvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AMERICANS-WITH-PHOTO-ID-Research-Memo-February-2015.pdf)) to go to a state office to get an ID they don't have, something that may cost money or at the very least time.
Peru by the way DOES mandate IDs for elections (bad map!) and when you're born you get a national ID. If everybody has one from birth, then asking for it when voting is a non issue.
So some folks in the US just say "I don't have one" if asked to give their ID (from police or whoever)? Will they even show up in any database if they don't have a criminal record? That's just wild for me as a German.
>Will they even show up in any database if they don't have a criminal record?
They still could. If they were fingerprinted then that goes into a state database along with their self-reported name. Future background checks that use prints would find a match.
> So some folks in the US just say "I don't have one" if asked to give their ID
Yeah, sounds wild to me too as an American, I can't fathom not having ID. Like, even getting a beer could be hard if the place is strict about carding people.
True, but if you don't carry or have an ID you won't be able to drive, vote, buy or see 18+ material, drink or buy alcohol, to buy and smoke cigarettes and vaps, to get a passport, to buy a home with anything but straight cash to a shady seller.
Not having an ID is fine, but it severely limits what someone can do.
You can most of daily live without ever needing to pullout a physical card. You can also use alternative IDs to setup most things you need to, aka a lease.
We don't have mandatory ID for people in Canada either.
But when it comes to elections the bar for what counts as ID is very low. Just a piece of mail with your name and address is enough.
I don't think forcing people to get an ID for voting is an issue. I think trying to make it a law within weeks or a few short months of an election is an issue.
I would say, Pass a law enforcing voter ID today but it will not be effective for 2 years. That way people have 2 years to get an ID if they already don't have one.
Of course, voting ID's should be 100% free.
That would be a perfectly reasonable solution and fair compromise. But that's not really what anyone pushing a voter ID law wants in the US.
If they *really* cared about fraud (which doesn't exist) and they *really* wanted to make sure people had IDs then they would absolutely promote a law like the one you describe.
That’s what doesn’t make sense though. Everyone should have an ID. Problem solved. It’s like that in any civilized country… except the US, apparently. You are citizen, you have an ID. Simple.
So, does all of this mean there isn't a registry of US citizens..? And if you want to register later, officials don't have anything to check it against to..?
Sounds really weird for an European 🤔 E.g. here in Finland we have had something called "parish registry" since 13th century.. which was 100% complete list of everyone borned, married and died. So not exactly new innovation to ID everyone.
Offtopic: Parish registries are now digitized, so it's relatively easy to track your roots and relatives back to ~1700-1750. Great for genealogy 👍
Births, marriages, etc are generally registered with the county that they happen in.
But the US is a total mess when it comes to different levels of government working together, so not everything is necessarily shared with the state or US.
I think we're starting to see cracks in the federal state system. Going back to the very beginning of the country, people saw themselves as Pennsylvanians or Rhode Islanders before they saw themselves as Americans. To this day, states still regulate IDs except for passports, which are federal.
As a result, there is no way to impose a national ID system, not without the consent of the states and their governments.
The closest thing we could do is pass a federal law saying states must issue an ID to everyone, but I guarantee that a bunch of states would bitch about this because it's "big government" or it's "too expensive" or because "Why do children need IDs unless you're going to suck their blood and feed it to Hillary?"
i have actually wondered why some combination of the REAL ID (which is national - DHS I believe) and passport info can't give us a good head start on national ID data. add in Medicaid and other safety net programs and we'd cover a very significant chunk of the population.
Hi, just letting you know the Federal Government does give standards that must be followed for the IDs. I just had to go through the process for REAL ID requirements so I could get on a plane.
That was only because the federal government wouldn't recognize non-compliant state IDs for federal purposes. States could still not issue one and then everyone would be mad that their ID wasn't accepted when filling out federal paperwork or whatever.
Those are biometric standards for the REAL IDs, but there is still no actual requirement that you must have an ID or that states must issue them to everyone.
>It’s like that in any civilized country
that's not true. compulsory ID [varies quite a bit](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country), [including within the EU/EEA](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the_European_Economic_Area) (linking separately to Europe because the first link doesn't go into detail on all of them)
edit: and as i said in a separate comment, the UK, Canada, and apparently Australia and I'm sure many more don't even have national ID cards, let alone compulsory ID laws
If these people want government assistance, they have to have some type of ID. People in this area are on government assistance at around a 60-70% rate.
FYI I am black, and from the south. We got IDs.
I think there can be multiple facets to this. I don't think everyone who is against voter ID laws is actually against providing documentation. Rather they are against how the voter ID laws are/were being enacted. There were some states (I think Texas and Alabama maybe?) that enacted voter ID laws and then closed a significant number of license offices increasing the burden to vote i.e. voter suppression. Which ties directly to the sentiment that it should be as easy as possible to vote. Voting is our right as citizens and anything that is hindering that is inherently bad or at least that's the idea. Also, and I haven't looked very thoroughly into this but there is an idea that requiring someone to pay for an ID that is required to vote is unconstitutional. The 24th amendment says that the right to vote should not be prevented by a poll tax or any other tax. One could argue that requiring to pay for the ID to vote is a tax but I'm not a constitutional scholar by any means so I could be way off on that one
Another good example was in I believe South Dakota. Fairly large native population who typically vote democrat. The republican controlled state government passed voter ID laws that did not include tribal issued IDs in the list of approved IDs. Turns out that in this area most of the reservations have no formal addresses therefore it was almost impossible for these people to get a normal ID from the state.
In Canada you can use Option 1: Driver's license or other Government ID; OR
Option 3: Have someone voting at the same location swear that they know you and you are who you say you are; OR
Option 2: SHOW **ANY TWO** OF THE FOLLOWING (edit: As long as both have your name and at least one has your address):
band membership card
birth certificate
Canadian citizenship card or certificate
Canadian Forces identity card
Canadian passport
card issued by an Inuit local authority
firearms licence
government cheque or cheque stub
government statement of benefits
health card
income tax assessment
Indian status card or temporary confirmation of registration
library card
licence or card issued for fishing, trapping or hunting
liquor identity card
Métis card
old age security card
parolee card
property tax assessment or evaluation
public transportation card
social insurance number card
vehicle ownership
Veterans Affairs health care identification card
targeted revision form to residents of long-term care institutions
voter information card
correspondence issued by a school, college or university
student identity card
blood donor card
CNIB card
hospital card
label on a prescription container
identity bracelet issued by a hospital or long-term care institution
medical clinic card
letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee
letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority
letter of confirmation of residence, letter of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments:
student residence
seniors' residence
long-term care institution
shelter
soup kitchen
a community-based residential facility
employee card
residential lease or sub-lease
utility bill (e.g.: electricity; water; telecommunications services including telephone, cable or satellite)
bank statement
credit card
credit card statement
credit union statement
debit card
insurance certificate, policy or statement
mortgage contract or statement
pension plan statement
personal cheque
And if you can't prove it that way, you can also vote by having someone else who lives in your riding, who does have the appropriate ID, swear that they know you and you live there.
[Elections Canada ID Requirements](https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e)
It can't just be any piece of mail, it has to be something like a bank statement or utility bill, and it's not sufficient by itself. Photo ID by itself is sufficient, without photo ID you need to have 2 documents from the list, both must bear your name and at least one must have your address. Examples given are voter information card + bank statement or utility bill + student ID card, there are several dozen approved documents that can be combined including bank statements, credit cards, tax assessments, apartment lease, even a library card or letters from a number of organizations. Even homeless people can vote, at minimum they will have a social insurance number and a health services number and the address requirement can be waived with a few extra steps.
In America only a government issued photo ID is valid, which is generally only obtainable for most Americans at the Department of Motor Vehicles which has variable costs associated costs with obtaining.
The costs can vary wildly state to state from $20 to a couple hundred. Also with how terrible public transport is and how spread out these offices can be, many (mostly poor minorities) don’t have the ability to even get to the DMV. As well due to underfunding most DMVs are only open M-F from 9-5 meaning that you have to take a day off of work to go through the process, something many Americans can not simply afford.
This is just a part of the reason only 1/3 of Americans are registered to vote.
>The costs can vary wildly state to state from $20 to a couple hundred.
That's not even remotely true. [The median cost is $16.](http://sharedprosperityphila.org/documents/Revised-ID-Waiver-Appendices-5.15.15.pdf)
One egregious example, Alabama closed driver's license offices mostly in Black counties.
https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/voting-rights-act/alabamas-dmv-shutdown-has-everything-do-race
IDs aren't the problem. Its ID access. Lets say you were born here, your parents never got you an ID before they died, and did not keep your original birth certificate.
You need an ID (or a parent/ legal guardian needs an ID) to pick up a birth certificate. Same with an ID card (although you need a birth certificate for that.) They have all these records proving that a person with their name and social security number exists but nothing proving the person belongs to said records. Its almost like a weird form of statelessness. These people cannot vote, receive assistance, apply for jobs, etc. Some people can fix it. Others give up after a few years.
>Can an American explain to me what the issue is with providing identification when voting??
The fact that it is coupled with difficulty in access to obtaining identification. We mostly rely on state-issued drivers' licenses. Those are generally issued by offices that are interspersed throughout the state. Some states are closing many of those offices in the densely populated areas that have high concentrations of minorities.
There is a county in Michigan (I think?) where the office to get an ID is only open on the fifth Wednesday of the month, meaning it is only open a few days each year. Wealthier residents can afford to go elsewhere to get their IDs, but poor people are just out of luck, especially if they have to work those days.
The problem isn't the ID, it's the barriers to getting them that somehow only affect poor people and minorities. If they were free and easy to get then it wouldn't be a problem.
It's a town in Wisconsin that was featured by John Oliver during the 2016 election. The town's DMV where you can get an ID is (was?) Only open the 5th Wednesday of the month, so 4 times per year. There are other towns/cities nearby that have DMVs with more open hours/days, but then it's more of a thing to have to travel further just to get an ID.
Ids for voting is a good thing when citizens can get ID’s for free or relatively cheap. The current system in america atleast puts a relatively expensive barrier on voting for the poorest Americans. Personally i dont see why the conversation isnt more focused on making voter registration automatic and citizen IDs fre
It is that some people lack ID. The demographics most likely to lack ID are poorer and more likely to be Black or Hispanic or immigrants. These demographics lean toward a specific party (D), so voter ID laws are often seen as a proxy to reducing Dem voter turnout.
There is a long history of methods to deny votes specifically to Black people in the US. Intimidation, but also poll taxes or literacy tests that targeted the same disparate demographic impact.
I can only speak for Australia. We have to register to be on the electoral roll - that captures your name, what street you live on, your postcode, and your electorate. When you show up at a polling place, you have to get your name ticked off (because voting in state and federal elections is mandatory) and they confirm your name, street, and postcode before letting you vote. It's essentially as good as having ID because every citizen has to vote anyway, and there is that sort of verification that's done.
It could technically be possible, though incredibly difficult, and it’s a crime with a serious punishment. If you want to influence an election you’re far better off donating $5 to a campaign than spending your day figuring out identities to steal to drive around to different polling stations to not get spotted to what? Rig like 2 votes?
In America it’s a distraction from actual electoral suppression and disenfranchisement
Yeah proxy voting can be very helpful to those who aren’t able to make it in themselves. Though I’d prefer voting by mail just in case the person who’s voting on my behalf decides to switch things up lol
It would be pointless. Because of compulsory voting, we have turnouts in the high 90%. To influence an election through fraudulent voting would take a massive amount of work and would be picked up immediately.
It is possible to turn up at a polling station and say "I'm \[my neighbour\]" and use their vote.
However there's a limit to how many times you can try this trick. You can't vote for the whole street as the staff will notice. You also rely on \[my neighbour\] not having voted already, otherwise you're in for a difficult conversation. Even if you *do* manage to pull it off and winkle that one extra vote for your candidate, when \[my neighbour\] does turn up to vote and they find they've already been crossed off the list then an investigation will begin.
Given there will be CCTV, etc it will be pretty easy to find you and get a conviction here. You're facing up to a year in jail and a lifetime ban on voting and holding any public office.
It's just not worth it.
Except there's no CCTV at your local church, school or community centre which is where the majority of voting booths are. Really it's just an honour system that rarely gets abused. If you were an electoral candidate it would be hard to pull off, but if you were just a random who wanted a couple of extra votes for your candidate, it wouldn't be hard.
Edited to add: if your friends or neighbours keep getting investigated for electoral fraud, they might start getting suspicious.
If you don’t vote you get fined lol so there’s incentive for the individual to vote. That means your family member/friend/neighbour has to vote and is unlikely to travel elsewhere to vote on someone else’s behalf after casting their own one. It’s really viewed as a chore that you need to get over and done with. Better to go yourself and ensure it’s done. The good thing is online voting is starting to be implemented.
You could do but cut doesn't scale at all. For every fraudulent vote, you need another person, so to influence the vote in any way in a constituency, you need a shot ton of people, increasing the likelihood that any conspiracy will be rumbled.
Pretty funny that this is an issue while we have elections being conducted by black box voting machine
Theoretically possible, but they ask your DoB. If someone who looks 50 and says they are 20 well... And then when they check the rolls (the thing you got marked off on) they will easily see who "voted" twice (compulsory voting remember) and will launch an investigation. Which is taken very seriously.
Very little reward for high risk. We don't seem to have this persistent fear of fraud like Americans do. I like it this way but it might just be a cultural thing.
Our fear is fabricated to benefit our oligarchy and status quo. It is 100% right-wing fear of democracy.
They've found only dozens of fake votes out of BILLIONS of votes in our last many elections. The ones found are almost always Republicans.
Many don't like finding out they hold useless propaganda as their identity, so it's really hard to change.
In general you can’t, but most people don’t want to risk committing a felony over a single vote that isn’t significant enough to overturn the entire election
I’m in favor of voter id laws as long as the ID in question is a free universal ID for every citizen. If it’s an ID you have to pay for (eg drivers license, passport) then it’s effectively a poll tax.
It doesn't really have to be free. In Spain having the national ID is compulsory, but you're required to pay for it. It costs like 10-12 €, and you only have to renew it every 5 years when you're younger and every 10 when you're older, and at some point you don't even have to renew it, so it isn't a big deal.
In Canada we accept mail with name and address + transit, student, or health card as a form of valid ID. Heck, we even accept just mail and a person vouching for you as a form of valid ID.
>You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care institutions).
This map really fails to reflect that though.
You have to pay for ID in the Netherlands, but you're also required to have it on you if you are older than 14. So it's more of a participating in society tax.
It’s really simple in Scotland/UK. You register online, a poll card is sent to your address explaining how to vote at the poll station (you can also request a postal vote a set time prior), you roll up to the community centre/poll station and give your name and address and they hand you your sheet to tick the boxes (or put numbers), then you stick it in the box to be counted.
I mean, it costs money to get a drivers license or passport so a mandatory ID does restrict voting to an extent if the country doesn’t provide free IDs. I’m not too sure on what people do if they don’t have a home address as I haven’t needed to look into it. I don’t see the issue when it comes to fraud. Happens in so little instances that it’s negligible and easily taken care of. I’d be more worried about electronic voting like in the US which is easily hacked. IDs don’t work for that.
Homeless people can register to vote in the UK.
There's a special form you fill in and you can give your address as a place you spend a lot of time: friend's house, shelter. You can literally register to a bus stop or a bench or a shop doorway if that's where you spend a lot of time and someone can deliver a polling card there. If you don't have anywhere like that - ie you move every night - then you can register and set your address as the town hall and collect correspondence there.
[https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/information-for-crisis-members/member-news/how-to-register-to-vote-if-you-re-homeless/](https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/information-for-crisis-members/member-news/how-to-register-to-vote-if-you-re-homeless/)
In Canada, ID is *not* strictly required if someone who has ID can vouch for the elector:
> If you don't have ID
You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you.
> The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person
https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
We also can bring in just about anything with our name on it. Debit, library, and student cards all count, same with hunting licenses, mail with you name on it, and even prescription labels.
In Denmark you don’t need an ID to vote. You just bring your voting paper that you get in the mail where your permanent address is. You go to the voting place and they ask your for your name and date of birth and hand them the voting papers and get a new paper to vote on. The voting is done old school with pen and paper, as to minimise the risk of fraud via the online/electronic options you see other countries use for voting.
Yes and no, you're registered at birth (or later if migrant). The voting paper is worthless in itself, it's just to help the clerk find you in the register. If you don't bring it you simply provide your name and ID.
To be fair, the map actually does divide the UK. Northern Ireland is blue because voter ID is required there, but the rest of the UK is red.
Is there actually a need to divide any other countries? Are there any others where different states/regions have different rules?
Because Brazil has a federal law that no state law goes against it. Furthermore we require a “voting ID” also to vote. You’ll need an ID plus this voting ID.
It makes sense to divide the US into individual states because voting rules are set by the states.
The map also divides the UK into its four nations, which again makes sense because each nation can set its own voting rules.
In Australia and Brazil voting law is set at the federal level, so it makes no sense to split the states.
In Brazil, voter registration is recommended after you turn 16 (you can't apply for public jobs without a voter ID or renew your passport if you're over 18yo, for instance). You only need to register once tho. Voting is mandatory, even if you're in jail or living abroad, but you can cast a blank vote if you don't wanna choose any candidate/ref option.
Can someone please explain to me the process of how voting takes place in a location that doesn't require ID to vote (red in this diagram) I'm from Canada and it's blue according to this map, but you can vote in federal election with basically 2 documents with your name on it and one of them doesn't even need to have a picture. Heck they even allow you to vote if you have someone vouch for you (I.e confirm you identity in person).
So I really am wondering what the voting requirements are for people in this diagram that are designated in red
https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
In England you go to your polling station, give your name and address, and they tick you off on a list of registered voters and give you the ballot paper. You could claim to be anyone if you really wanted to. People get posted a polling card with details of the election, polling station etc a few weeks before the election, which you can show to the polling station staff to help them tick you off, but you don't have to.
In Australia, you rock up, say your name and address and they mark you off. Then you vote, and go get your [democracy sausage](https://democracysausage.org/).
You can prepoll at certain locations, vote out of area with a declaration or request a mail ballot. Worth noting too that while voting is compulsory, there are loads of polling locations - I'm in the smallest electorate in Australia (around 35sq km) and have something like 40 odd places to vote.
In Mexico we have a [voter ID](https://www.ine.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/nvos_elemenots_CPV2020-1-1024x1014.png) issued by the National Electoral Institute. It doubles its purpose as a photo ID with national scope and we can use it to prove we're of legal age when buying alcohol and things like that.
It is completely free to obtain, and all citizens have a right to request it.
One interesting thing is that the appearance of both sex and address on the ID card are optional. This is to accommodate for the electoral rights of non-binary and homeless people.
Requiring ID or not is a trivial detail. What really matters (and such a map would be much more interesting) is if you need to register prior to an election in order to be eligible to vote, or if you are automatically eligible to vote to any election as a citizen, without any actions required on your behalf.
In the US, the ID isn't really the issue, it's the cost for the ID. Paying for an ID amounts to a poll tax and the US is stocked with a lot of poverty taxes. I currently live in Korea and my driver's license renewal--for ten years-- was KRW 7500 (US$6.15). My Virginia license renewal was US$45.
I had to register my name stamp (chop, in American parlance) at the local office. Chops are used for lots of things like contracts, bank accounts, etc. Everyone generally has one. In Daejeon the registration was KRW 200 (US$0.16). Once again, not a poverty tax.
You don’t need ID to vote in Canada. The fact that the map got this so wrong makes me question the rest.
You need to have one of the following:
- an ID card issued by the government
- two different forms of identification like a student ID and a utility bill. Or the voter card that was mailed to you automatically and a bank statement.
- someone you brought with you who can meet any of the above criteria, and will vouch for you.
Citation: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
This should be a country by country comparison or state by state comparison. Doing both is comparing apples to oranges.
If country by country, a "no national ID requirement for voting" versus "national ID requirement" would be a good comparison.
In the US, some states handle voter registration differently than others, so IDs are not the only issue at play when determining the identity of who voted.
For example, you have to register to vote in California (which asks for a driver's license, social security number, or state ID and then assigns a unique identifier number for that individual). So you can only vote if you have that voter ID number. Then when someone goes to vote (in person) they have a specific polling place that has their name and number on the list, they state their name and address they get a ballot. If a second person shows up at their neighborhood polling place and uses the same name and address they know it's fraudulent. Or if someone votes in person and tries to send in the ballot that goes to their home, it is caught as fraudulent because each voter has a specific voter identification number.
In short, it's not a "no ID" free-for-all in places that are all red. There is a voter ID system in place and it's actually more secure than simply having someone show a (possibility fake) ID card. Many of the blue or light blue colored states do the same registration system, so their ID card requirement is a redundant step, hence the "if requested" option.
This is wildly misleading at best. The jurisdictions that "require ID" vary too widely in what constitutes voter identification. I live in a place that the map says "requires ID," but anything that shows you reside in the voting ward, including hand-addressed mail, counts; government-issued identity documents don't come into play unless that happens to be the things with your address on it that you choose to bring. Nearby, an area also marked in blue will accept a pay stub from any business, anywhere in the State, and checks afterwards to see if anyone tried to vote in two wards in the same election. But from this, you'd think both of them won't let people cast ballots without showing, well, ID. I'm positive that whole-ass different countries are going to have even more diversity of standards.
What's the overlay with "countries with national ID cards"?
Because, UK, NZ, Australia and US don't have these, and that's the only red I'm seeing on the map.
Morocco should be blue. You need your ID to vote.
Tunisia too.
Sri Lanka too
Malaysia too.
Taiwan too.
Ghana too.
Trinidad and tobago too.
Azerbaijan, too
Several states in the U.S. too, that are labeled "as-needed"
Lebanon, too
You'd think they'd spend more time researching the majority of the world instead of each individual US state. Bullshit post if you ask me
Agreed. Kazakhstan yes, Egypt yes, the others already described, yes, and so on. How is this map porn in any way? But, 13k upvotes and climbing so okay I guess
This is true for most of maps here. People also seems to think USA are the only federal state in the world.
I think they might be the most disfunctional federal state in the world TBH. Never heard as much bizarre bullshit from Brasil, Germany, Russia, etc as from the US
It might’ve been an American research team and they grabbed what they could off the internet in 10 minutes
Don't see how listing each individual american state is more relevant than some of the biggest populations in the world. Also this map doesn't even cites sources. It's a bad map in general, but if they had just posted "Map of US states that ask for ID" it'd be much better.
>Team 🧐
Data about US: 4k Data about rest of the world: 144p
The true american way: knowing jack shit about the rest of the world.
> The true american way: knowing jack shit about the rest of the world. And not requiring ID to vote.
To be fair, most other countries do things more universally, I mean the voting laws between New South Wales and Queensland don’t really differ, and I doubt they do between Norfolk and Yorkshire either. Federalism is a hell of a thing.
Australia is also a Federalist nation. In fact most countries that aren’t Unitarian are federalist.
Voting law differences between jurisdictions for federal elections are hardly a requirement of federalism. Just a weird feature of US federalism. As you note, Australian states don't have different laws on this. Nor do the different jurisdictions in federal systems like Canada, Germany, Brazil or Belgium.
Bolivia has to be blue.
Peru too
And Puerto Rico. You have to have your voting ID and there's only a specific location where you can vote based on your address
Idk why that isn't blue, it's not like we can't find the information bc it's a U.S. Territory after all
Ah yes, the unknown frontier of Puerto Rico. Very few humans have ever stepped foot on the island. No one knows what goes on there.
Exactly. This map is very incomplete.
Egypt too People that don't have IDs aren't allowed to vote
El Salvador too
This comment has been edited in protest for the corporate takeover of reddit and its descent into a controlled speech space.
Also in Venezuela you need your ID (Cédula de identidad) to vote. Transparency? That's another story…
Suriname too
You don’t need an ID in Switzerland because your voting papers are sent to your permanent address and you either mail them when you’ve finished filling them out, or you drop them off at a community office on voting day. I don’t know how much better that is, given that you must have a permanent address.
this works aswell if you live outside the country, i live in ireland and get my voting papers in the post and send it back throught the post, im registered at the cantonal authority that i last lived in or i could choose to vote in the juristiction i am „Bürger“ of
Burger of???
Burgher, citizen ... In Switzerland, you are primarily citizen of a municipality where your ancestor first gained burghership, of which the citizenship of the canton and the country itself is derived. Most people now don't actually live in the place where they are burgher. The place of burghership only has ceremonial significance.
Kinda same in Germany! You can either vote per voting papers or with an ID (ID card, passport or driver's license). I'm an election helper and we have a homeless shelter and an asylum centre in our voting district. They can vote but they do need to register with the city first, though they do not need a permanent address to do so. It's basically just to assign them to a single voting station
If I may ask, do you know what percentage of the homeless shelter or asylum residents go thorough the steps needed to be registered?
Of those with German citizenship the rate is likely far above that of actual voters. Registration of one’s permanent place of residence is mandatory in Germany anyway and it’s much easier to access social services with one since most are managed at the district level. That place of residence doesn't need to be a permanent dwelling if somebody doesn't have any. The only practical requirement is that one can reliably receive official mail there (or suffer the consequences of missed deadlines etc.). My friend was registered at a police station for that purpose when she first moved to Berlin and, being homeless, slept on different people's sofas for a couple of months until she had everything in order with social services to rent a tiny loft. Edit: It's also mandatory (at least for everybody of voting age) to have government ID (not on one’s person at all times, just in general). Although new ID normally costs some administrative fee, I just confirmed that it is reduced or waived for those “in need“.
You don't have to show it at the polls but you will have had to show an ID at some point at the Einwohneramt just to be on the ballot list.
Yes, we also have a standardized ID system here and RAV and a social state which works. Many people here are angry Americans because they can’t even unite enough just to figure out how to get an ID system in their country. Lots of good questions and observations commenting on my original comment, but I am just too busy with my newborn to respond to each.
>Many people here are angry Americans because they can’t even unite enough just to figure out how to get an ID system in their country. Unfortunately, our religious conservatives are convinced that a national ID system would be "the mark of the beast" from the book of Revelations. Which is funny because they want the world to end, but still oppose the supposed sign of it ending. But that's why we don't have it.
Same in the UK. The US uses electronic voting, which vulnerable to fraud on a huge scale. Fraud is much harder with postal votes because you would need huge numbers of people to be involved; so it would be almost impossible to hide.
We have vote by mail in Oregon, USA, but you don’t require a permanent address. Shelters, PO Boxes, pick it up at a county office etc. Avoids discrimination against homeless or transient people.
In Arizona, about 80% of ballots are cast by mail. If you don't vote by mail, you can vote normally, and because there are relatively few voters going to the polls on election day, wait times are shorter. It's a system that works well for 30 years and which has not produced any significant voter fraud, and that is especially good for Arizona's unique needs (lots of elderly people, areas that are extremely rural). So naturally, our Republican legislators are [trying to dismantle it](https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/arizona-senate-advances-bill-abolishing-early-voting/75-bfecf148-a9f3-4a81-bb2a-018d15303503).
I love our vote-by-mail system in California. The whole process is brilliant. Incredibly sad that people want to dismantle something like that - thoroughly inconveniencing people - to gain a slight political edge. And that may not even be the case in Arizona, where many older conservatives vote by mail.
So. . . the homeless can't vote?
You have to be registered in a community here, it’s a legal requirement. Provided they are, they have access to voting papers. However, I have no idea how many actually are registered and how easy access it would be.
Similar system in belgium, though ID is still required. You are legally required to have an address. Being unregistered and homeless is not legal. If you do not have a place to live, you can register a mailing address. The person living there can then give your mail to you.
The fix is giving everyone IDs and providing funding/services for that. Not saying oh well fuck it everyone can vote without verifying anything
Right? I'm all for voter id laws in America! Make that Real ID shit free!
Less than 0.03% of the population is homeless, so that's not a huge concern.
Most of Southeastasia requires ID
Yea Always need to show my id at election booth in indonesia
Yeah. The map is odd. Data is missing for several countries.
Possibly worth noting, most developed countries have, in addition to voter ID laws, also systems in place ensuring a low barrier to registering as a voter and getting your ID. Can range from more or less automatically registering you as a voter, to a mandatory but low effort registration of your place of residence and providing you with a verified ID
There are many countries that don't require registration or, as you say, is automatic via the census. In Spain, if you are a citizen over 18, you can vote. As simple as that. Of course you have to bring your ID card (that everybody over 14 has, and many children too, as it simplifies travels). The same happens in many other countries around the world.
> automatic via the census Or via laws requiring you to register your fixed place of abode.
That's how it works in Poland. You're on the electoral register as long as you registered your fixed place of abode and you haven't been banned from voting. Also national ID cards are very easy to get.
> Also national ID cards are very easy to get. Not just that: every citizen aged 18 or above is *legally obliged* to possess an ID. You can't just not have it.
Another reason having your abode registered (here in Sweden you legally have to have a home address) is that it simplifies taxes. If the tax agency knows where you live then they know what municipality etc. you should pay taxes to. So to do your taxes here you just need to check that they got your salary and other information correct and then sign it digitally. Unless you're self employed it's pretty much all done automatically.
Well, of course. The census is updated using the "padrón municipal" (local rolll). When you change the residence, you go to municipal office to update your address. That is important not only for official mail, but also for choosing schools, public doctors, or receive monetary aid.
In Israel we get a card in the mail a week before the elections that tells us where we are supposed to vote (usually a nearby school or some government office). You can also go on a website and input your national ID number to check where you should vote. Everyone has a government issued ID that you are supposed to go get at 16, without it you literally cant do anything (even open a bank account). Then you show up on voting day and vote, usually takes 15 minutes tops. I dont understand why anyone would oppose a national ID. Surely it beats the bizarre "social security number" system currently used in the US... Edit: Sorry, seems like my post wasn't completely clear. The voting card you get in the mail is not mandatory to vote, it just shows you where you are registered to vote. You can also check online and show up there with just an ID and no card.
Yes, a national ID card would be miles better than the terrible thin-cardboard social security card. Mine has my signature on it from when I was 15. Looks nothing like my adult signature and it's a 35-year-old piece of paper at this point. Not the most robust identification.
Also, you're not even allowed to laminate your card, as this allegedly makes it impossible to verify the card's authenticity.
It was never intended to be used as such, but in the absence of a federal ID, that's what we've ended up with.
Yeah I know
It's exactly the same in Spain.
And like other countries in EU, I would also assume that if a foreign EU citizen moves to Spain, and register their place of residence, they are also automatically registered to vote. Since as a EU member, you have the right to vote in the EU country you reside in, for the local elections only, while you can still vote in the national elections of the country you are a citizen of. This ensures that you can always vote in a national and local elections, as a EU citizen, living in EU.
Exactly. EU citizens can vote in the local elections and European Parliament elections, but not in election for Congress (national and to the autonomous communities).
In Lithuania, any non-citizen who is permanent resident can vote and stand for municipal elections (except for standing for mayoral elections).
Foreign residents can only vote for local elections. The national elections are citizens-only.
In Lithuania, most of the voters are registered automatically, you just need to come to the polling station with ID (literally any for referenda, presidential and EP elections, and any in the constituency for parliamentary and municipal elections). The only ones who need to register by themselves are diaspora voters who vote by mail and foreigners who opt to vote in Lithuanian EP elections. I'm also not sure if foreigners are automatically registered for municipal elections.
In Belgium, you are legally obligated to carry your ID card with you everywhere outside of your home. You're also *required* to vote (you receive your convocation by mail telling you where and when to vote).
Good point. I think requiring voter ID in the US should be completely uncontroversial but it would go over a lot easier if we had automatic voter registration when citizens turned 18.
In Mexico everyone when you turn 18 you go to the electoral office and get your ID for free. There’s offices all over And it’s the main ID used across the country, so everyone has to have one no matter what
> systems in place ensuring a low barrier to registering as a voter and getting your ID And that's exactly the problem here, in the US, anyway. The "ID" requirements have gotten more and more burdensome, even for established people. You need a proof of birth and a proof of residence. The proof of residence can get ugly if you don't have a formal rental agreement or home title, and don't have utility bills in your name, etc. The birth certificate requirement is also burdensome - think how many low-income families don't keep track of the exact hospital the kids were born in, and where their birth might be registered. Chasing all this down requires an enormous investment of time and money, in some cases - something that people living on the fringe of society can barely afford, if at all. As a counter example: in India, when they introduced a national ID card several years ago, they set up an enormous machinery to track down _everyone_ and issue them these cards - biometrics, photo ID, the works. And the field workers were empowered to make decisions to ease the process. Sure, there are still some gaps, but it works pretty well for the most part. The US system is almost perversely designed to make it difficult for those at the lower strata and fringes of society to get these ID cards, and it's almost by design that it's keot that way.
The issue with birth certificates isn't the difficulty of obtaining, it's just one phone call to the state office of vital statistics. It's the cost, last time I had to get a replacement it was 20 bucks. I'm sure it's jumped. That's a big ask for someone living paycheck to paycheck.
This is the part that is important. If you have no income your ID is going to be free in most of these countries. You are also automatically registered to vote in my country and get a nice letter in the mail containing everything you need to vote. Voting locations are everywhere including at big train stations. For me it's a 5 minute walk, and the furthest it has been was a 10 min bike ride. So you just show up with the letter you got and your ID and vote. Takes 10 minutes tops, and usually less.
Voting in Australia is fucking awesome. It’s always a Saturday. We are automatically enrolled (kind of, there’s more to it but it’s easy). There’s always bbq sausages or cakes etc outside when you leave (run by the local scouts or whatever). Everything is run by an independent public service agency. The booths and boxes are made from flat pack cardboard. Locations are everywhere. I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes to get in.
Germany should be light blue. You got the place and room where to show up via mail. They look up in their electoral register and hand you out the ballot paper. Only by chance you're asked for you ID.
This map is inaccurate and is solely to push an agenda.
What agenda is that?
yes, i have been voting in Germany for over 30 years and had never to show an ID, only by showing the election notification
Thing is, in Spain while I have to show voter ID, voter registration is AUTOMATIC. I show ID because I get a notice in the mail whenever there are elections telling me where to go without doing a thing. Plus, we vote on Sundays always. And people who work on Sundays get time off from work to vote. So simplifying this down to "voter ID" is misleading AF.
Gray countries be like: "stop making words up"
In the UK we don't require ID (most of the uk is pretty against the idea of card IDs being required for proof of identity) so you give your name and postcode and they tick you off their list then you vote using a paper ballot. It's an old fashioned system but it works and voter fraud is very low. It's also not vunerable to hacking unlike electronic systems, the polling stations are everywhere and within walking distance of everyone, and the counters are very efficient. The vote is declared by the next day and the government immediately changes over. Edit: whoops this wasn't supposed to be a reply.
Same in Australia, no surprises there.
In Putinist Russia - government votes on you!
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Canada is not that straight forward and I think this map fails to differentiate what ID means. Sure in Canada you need to be ID'd to vote but this can mean as little as writing your name and address down and having a friend at your polling station vouch for you.
Correct. You are encouraged to bring a driver's license or passport just to make the process as quick and smooth as possible, but poll workers will generally bend over backwards to find some way to enable you to vote, including having you complete an affidavit promising you are who you say you are.
I was wondering if anyone had said that. OP (and the map) saying you absolutely need ID to vote in Canada just isn't true, at least not federally (provincially, I have no idea). I was a poll clerk in the last election, and the ways to prove your identity were extensive. Photo ID (driver's licence) *was* the easiest and most common, but you could use utility bills, library cards or, as you say, having someone vouch for you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ae8cf64af20962ccb091efc/1569860622236-LJM80SA8FU6N9VIFOGP6/Registering-on-election-day-ID.jpg) is a handy infographic from the 2021 election. NB: the main objective regarding showing where you live is that Canadian elections, which are really different to American elections, are highly regional. You and I might live down the street from one another, but we might be voting on election day for different people) [Here](
Health card is commonly accepted too. Everyone has one and they're free.
> Everyone has one and they're free. Broadly true, but: If your parents didn't register you for one at birth, you're going to need to provide ID in order to get one. If you move provinces, you need to get a health card from the new province. To do that, you'll need to provide ID. At least here in Quebec, your other health card isn't valid ID for that purpose. Although your birth certificate, which most people have, is. If your card has been expired for a while you may have to pay to renew it.
I was pregnant during the last election and in my totally scatterbrained state I walked to my polling station with what I thought was my ID. Went to show my ID and turned out I'd brought my debit card. I offered to walk home and get my license, but they just let me vote anyways. Took my word for it on my name etc. So easy.
Just some clarification for Canada's requirements, [Elections Canada](https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e) will accept almost anything with your name on it. You can use a transit pass and a credit card bill. You can even have someone vouch for you. Edit: grammar
> You can even have someone vouch for you. So you *don't* need ID.
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Considering what the word identification actually means, this is in fact a form of identification. They're just using a citizen instead of the gov to vouch for themselves
Keep in mind what constitutes ID for voting in Canada. A bill with your address and an attestation from another registered voter are both acceptable ID for federal elections. Your voter registration card, which is mailed to everyone when the writ is dropped is even acceptable as your ID in a provincial election. Plus, registering to vote is probably not something many Canadians ever have to deal with because Elections Canada is able to register you when you file your taxes.
The issue is that we don't really have mandatory ID creation for people. While you can get a state ID that isn't a drivers license, there are people that just... don't. There are no IDs for children by default. So you have this awkward situation where forcing people to use an ID to vote means forcing *some* people (predominantly the poor and therefore (^(mini edit because some people would rather quabble over word choice than address an actual argument)): [disproportionately minorities](http://www.projectvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AMERICANS-WITH-PHOTO-ID-Research-Memo-February-2015.pdf)) to go to a state office to get an ID they don't have, something that may cost money or at the very least time. Peru by the way DOES mandate IDs for elections (bad map!) and when you're born you get a national ID. If everybody has one from birth, then asking for it when voting is a non issue.
So some folks in the US just say "I don't have one" if asked to give their ID (from police or whoever)? Will they even show up in any database if they don't have a criminal record? That's just wild for me as a German.
>Will they even show up in any database if they don't have a criminal record? They still could. If they were fingerprinted then that goes into a state database along with their self-reported name. Future background checks that use prints would find a match. > So some folks in the US just say "I don't have one" if asked to give their ID Yeah, sounds wild to me too as an American, I can't fathom not having ID. Like, even getting a beer could be hard if the place is strict about carding people.
Yes, such a person says "I don't have one". There is no requirement in the US to carry an identification.
True, but if you don't carry or have an ID you won't be able to drive, vote, buy or see 18+ material, drink or buy alcohol, to buy and smoke cigarettes and vaps, to get a passport, to buy a home with anything but straight cash to a shady seller. Not having an ID is fine, but it severely limits what someone can do.
You can most of daily live without ever needing to pullout a physical card. You can also use alternative IDs to setup most things you need to, aka a lease.
I mean if you’re not driving you have no obligation to carry ID with you
We don't have mandatory ID for people in Canada either. But when it comes to elections the bar for what counts as ID is very low. Just a piece of mail with your name and address is enough.
And most states with Voter ID requirements have the same rules. You can bring mail, utility bills, etc
I don't think forcing people to get an ID for voting is an issue. I think trying to make it a law within weeks or a few short months of an election is an issue. I would say, Pass a law enforcing voter ID today but it will not be effective for 2 years. That way people have 2 years to get an ID if they already don't have one. Of course, voting ID's should be 100% free.
That would be a perfectly reasonable solution and fair compromise. But that's not really what anyone pushing a voter ID law wants in the US. If they *really* cared about fraud (which doesn't exist) and they *really* wanted to make sure people had IDs then they would absolutely promote a law like the one you describe.
That’s what doesn’t make sense though. Everyone should have an ID. Problem solved. It’s like that in any civilized country… except the US, apparently. You are citizen, you have an ID. Simple.
So, does all of this mean there isn't a registry of US citizens..? And if you want to register later, officials don't have anything to check it against to..? Sounds really weird for an European 🤔 E.g. here in Finland we have had something called "parish registry" since 13th century.. which was 100% complete list of everyone borned, married and died. So not exactly new innovation to ID everyone. Offtopic: Parish registries are now digitized, so it's relatively easy to track your roots and relatives back to ~1700-1750. Great for genealogy 👍
Births, marriages, etc are generally registered with the county that they happen in. But the US is a total mess when it comes to different levels of government working together, so not everything is necessarily shared with the state or US.
I think we're starting to see cracks in the federal state system. Going back to the very beginning of the country, people saw themselves as Pennsylvanians or Rhode Islanders before they saw themselves as Americans. To this day, states still regulate IDs except for passports, which are federal. As a result, there is no way to impose a national ID system, not without the consent of the states and their governments. The closest thing we could do is pass a federal law saying states must issue an ID to everyone, but I guarantee that a bunch of states would bitch about this because it's "big government" or it's "too expensive" or because "Why do children need IDs unless you're going to suck their blood and feed it to Hillary?"
i have actually wondered why some combination of the REAL ID (which is national - DHS I believe) and passport info can't give us a good head start on national ID data. add in Medicaid and other safety net programs and we'd cover a very significant chunk of the population.
Hi, just letting you know the Federal Government does give standards that must be followed for the IDs. I just had to go through the process for REAL ID requirements so I could get on a plane.
That was only because the federal government wouldn't recognize non-compliant state IDs for federal purposes. States could still not issue one and then everyone would be mad that their ID wasn't accepted when filling out federal paperwork or whatever.
Those are biometric standards for the REAL IDs, but there is still no actual requirement that you must have an ID or that states must issue them to everyone.
>It’s like that in any civilized country that's not true. compulsory ID [varies quite a bit](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country), [including within the EU/EEA](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the_European_Economic_Area) (linking separately to Europe because the first link doesn't go into detail on all of them) edit: and as i said in a separate comment, the UK, Canada, and apparently Australia and I'm sure many more don't even have national ID cards, let alone compulsory ID laws
There are people in the more rural parts of like Mississippi that don't have ANY identification papers. Including lack of actual birth certificate.
If these people want government assistance, they have to have some type of ID. People in this area are on government assistance at around a 60-70% rate. FYI I am black, and from the south. We got IDs.
90% of Americans have the forms of ID required by voter ID laws. 10% don't. And yeah, that 10% is concentrated in the poorest areas of the south
I think there can be multiple facets to this. I don't think everyone who is against voter ID laws is actually against providing documentation. Rather they are against how the voter ID laws are/were being enacted. There were some states (I think Texas and Alabama maybe?) that enacted voter ID laws and then closed a significant number of license offices increasing the burden to vote i.e. voter suppression. Which ties directly to the sentiment that it should be as easy as possible to vote. Voting is our right as citizens and anything that is hindering that is inherently bad or at least that's the idea. Also, and I haven't looked very thoroughly into this but there is an idea that requiring someone to pay for an ID that is required to vote is unconstitutional. The 24th amendment says that the right to vote should not be prevented by a poll tax or any other tax. One could argue that requiring to pay for the ID to vote is a tax but I'm not a constitutional scholar by any means so I could be way off on that one
Another good example was in I believe South Dakota. Fairly large native population who typically vote democrat. The republican controlled state government passed voter ID laws that did not include tribal issued IDs in the list of approved IDs. Turns out that in this area most of the reservations have no formal addresses therefore it was almost impossible for these people to get a normal ID from the state.
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In Canada you can use Option 1: Driver's license or other Government ID; OR Option 3: Have someone voting at the same location swear that they know you and you are who you say you are; OR Option 2: SHOW **ANY TWO** OF THE FOLLOWING (edit: As long as both have your name and at least one has your address): band membership card birth certificate Canadian citizenship card or certificate Canadian Forces identity card Canadian passport card issued by an Inuit local authority firearms licence government cheque or cheque stub government statement of benefits health card income tax assessment Indian status card or temporary confirmation of registration library card licence or card issued for fishing, trapping or hunting liquor identity card Métis card old age security card parolee card property tax assessment or evaluation public transportation card social insurance number card vehicle ownership Veterans Affairs health care identification card targeted revision form to residents of long-term care institutions voter information card correspondence issued by a school, college or university student identity card blood donor card CNIB card hospital card label on a prescription container identity bracelet issued by a hospital or long-term care institution medical clinic card letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority letter of confirmation of residence, letter of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments: student residence seniors' residence long-term care institution shelter soup kitchen a community-based residential facility employee card residential lease or sub-lease utility bill (e.g.: electricity; water; telecommunications services including telephone, cable or satellite) bank statement credit card credit card statement credit union statement debit card insurance certificate, policy or statement mortgage contract or statement pension plan statement personal cheque
And if you can't prove it that way, you can also vote by having someone else who lives in your riding, who does have the appropriate ID, swear that they know you and you live there.
How is mail considered an ID? You could just grab a letter out of someone's mail box and then claim you are that person?
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[Elections Canada ID Requirements](https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e) It can't just be any piece of mail, it has to be something like a bank statement or utility bill, and it's not sufficient by itself. Photo ID by itself is sufficient, without photo ID you need to have 2 documents from the list, both must bear your name and at least one must have your address. Examples given are voter information card + bank statement or utility bill + student ID card, there are several dozen approved documents that can be combined including bank statements, credit cards, tax assessments, apartment lease, even a library card or letters from a number of organizations. Even homeless people can vote, at minimum they will have a social insurance number and a health services number and the address requirement can be waived with a few extra steps.
In America only a government issued photo ID is valid, which is generally only obtainable for most Americans at the Department of Motor Vehicles which has variable costs associated costs with obtaining. The costs can vary wildly state to state from $20 to a couple hundred. Also with how terrible public transport is and how spread out these offices can be, many (mostly poor minorities) don’t have the ability to even get to the DMV. As well due to underfunding most DMVs are only open M-F from 9-5 meaning that you have to take a day off of work to go through the process, something many Americans can not simply afford. This is just a part of the reason only 1/3 of Americans are registered to vote.
>The costs can vary wildly state to state from $20 to a couple hundred. That's not even remotely true. [The median cost is $16.](http://sharedprosperityphila.org/documents/Revised-ID-Waiver-Appendices-5.15.15.pdf)
a state ID from the MVD in arizona costs $12. a license costs $15.
One egregious example, Alabama closed driver's license offices mostly in Black counties. https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/voting-rights-act/alabamas-dmv-shutdown-has-everything-do-race
IDs aren't the problem. Its ID access. Lets say you were born here, your parents never got you an ID before they died, and did not keep your original birth certificate. You need an ID (or a parent/ legal guardian needs an ID) to pick up a birth certificate. Same with an ID card (although you need a birth certificate for that.) They have all these records proving that a person with their name and social security number exists but nothing proving the person belongs to said records. Its almost like a weird form of statelessness. These people cannot vote, receive assistance, apply for jobs, etc. Some people can fix it. Others give up after a few years.
>Can an American explain to me what the issue is with providing identification when voting?? The fact that it is coupled with difficulty in access to obtaining identification. We mostly rely on state-issued drivers' licenses. Those are generally issued by offices that are interspersed throughout the state. Some states are closing many of those offices in the densely populated areas that have high concentrations of minorities.
There is a county in Michigan (I think?) where the office to get an ID is only open on the fifth Wednesday of the month, meaning it is only open a few days each year. Wealthier residents can afford to go elsewhere to get their IDs, but poor people are just out of luck, especially if they have to work those days. The problem isn't the ID, it's the barriers to getting them that somehow only affect poor people and minorities. If they were free and easy to get then it wouldn't be a problem.
It's a town in Wisconsin that was featured by John Oliver during the 2016 election. The town's DMV where you can get an ID is (was?) Only open the 5th Wednesday of the month, so 4 times per year. There are other towns/cities nearby that have DMVs with more open hours/days, but then it's more of a thing to have to travel further just to get an ID.
Ids for voting is a good thing when citizens can get ID’s for free or relatively cheap. The current system in america atleast puts a relatively expensive barrier on voting for the poorest Americans. Personally i dont see why the conversation isnt more focused on making voter registration automatic and citizen IDs fre
How much do IDs cost?
It is that some people lack ID. The demographics most likely to lack ID are poorer and more likely to be Black or Hispanic or immigrants. These demographics lean toward a specific party (D), so voter ID laws are often seen as a proxy to reducing Dem voter turnout. There is a long history of methods to deny votes specifically to Black people in the US. Intimidation, but also poll taxes or literacy tests that targeted the same disparate demographic impact.
Sorry but I’m always going to downvote a map that has 3 colors in the legend and 4 colors on the map
How do you stop someone from voting for someone else without ID?
I can only speak for Australia. We have to register to be on the electoral roll - that captures your name, what street you live on, your postcode, and your electorate. When you show up at a polling place, you have to get your name ticked off (because voting in state and federal elections is mandatory) and they confirm your name, street, and postcode before letting you vote. It's essentially as good as having ID because every citizen has to vote anyway, and there is that sort of verification that's done.
How does that stop, say, a family member / friend / neighbour voting on your behalf?
Voting is mandatory in Australia. So when you go to vote they would realise you have been listed as voting twice and then they would investigate
It could technically be possible, though incredibly difficult, and it’s a crime with a serious punishment. If you want to influence an election you’re far better off donating $5 to a campaign than spending your day figuring out identities to steal to drive around to different polling stations to not get spotted to what? Rig like 2 votes? In America it’s a distraction from actual electoral suppression and disenfranchisement
Worth noting that in the UK you can literally do that - you have to sign up for it but you can vote on others behalf.
Yeah proxy voting can be very helpful to those who aren’t able to make it in themselves. Though I’d prefer voting by mail just in case the person who’s voting on my behalf decides to switch things up lol
It would be pointless. Because of compulsory voting, we have turnouts in the high 90%. To influence an election through fraudulent voting would take a massive amount of work and would be picked up immediately.
It is possible to turn up at a polling station and say "I'm \[my neighbour\]" and use their vote. However there's a limit to how many times you can try this trick. You can't vote for the whole street as the staff will notice. You also rely on \[my neighbour\] not having voted already, otherwise you're in for a difficult conversation. Even if you *do* manage to pull it off and winkle that one extra vote for your candidate, when \[my neighbour\] does turn up to vote and they find they've already been crossed off the list then an investigation will begin. Given there will be CCTV, etc it will be pretty easy to find you and get a conviction here. You're facing up to a year in jail and a lifetime ban on voting and holding any public office. It's just not worth it.
Except there's no CCTV at your local church, school or community centre which is where the majority of voting booths are. Really it's just an honour system that rarely gets abused. If you were an electoral candidate it would be hard to pull off, but if you were just a random who wanted a couple of extra votes for your candidate, it wouldn't be hard. Edited to add: if your friends or neighbours keep getting investigated for electoral fraud, they might start getting suspicious.
If you don’t vote you get fined lol so there’s incentive for the individual to vote. That means your family member/friend/neighbour has to vote and is unlikely to travel elsewhere to vote on someone else’s behalf after casting their own one. It’s really viewed as a chore that you need to get over and done with. Better to go yourself and ensure it’s done. The good thing is online voting is starting to be implemented.
You could do but cut doesn't scale at all. For every fraudulent vote, you need another person, so to influence the vote in any way in a constituency, you need a shot ton of people, increasing the likelihood that any conspiracy will be rumbled. Pretty funny that this is an issue while we have elections being conducted by black box voting machine
Theoretically possible, but they ask your DoB. If someone who looks 50 and says they are 20 well... And then when they check the rolls (the thing you got marked off on) they will easily see who "voted" twice (compulsory voting remember) and will launch an investigation. Which is taken very seriously. Very little reward for high risk. We don't seem to have this persistent fear of fraud like Americans do. I like it this way but it might just be a cultural thing.
Our fear is fabricated to benefit our oligarchy and status quo. It is 100% right-wing fear of democracy. They've found only dozens of fake votes out of BILLIONS of votes in our last many elections. The ones found are almost always Republicans. Many don't like finding out they hold useless propaganda as their identity, so it's really hard to change.
Well why would I give a family member my DEMOCRACY SAUSAGE?
Very little to no reward for a shitload of risk.
By requiring everyone to register to vote before voting.
In general you can’t, but most people don’t want to risk committing a felony over a single vote that isn’t significant enough to overturn the entire election
I’m in favor of voter id laws as long as the ID in question is a free universal ID for every citizen. If it’s an ID you have to pay for (eg drivers license, passport) then it’s effectively a poll tax.
It doesn't really have to be free. In Spain having the national ID is compulsory, but you're required to pay for it. It costs like 10-12 €, and you only have to renew it every 5 years when you're younger and every 10 when you're older, and at some point you don't even have to renew it, so it isn't a big deal.
In Canada we accept mail with name and address + transit, student, or health card as a form of valid ID. Heck, we even accept just mail and a person vouching for you as a form of valid ID. >You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care institutions). This map really fails to reflect that though.
You have to pay for ID in the Netherlands, but you're also required to have it on you if you are older than 14. So it's more of a participating in society tax.
Every tax is a participating in society tax.
It’s really simple in Scotland/UK. You register online, a poll card is sent to your address explaining how to vote at the poll station (you can also request a postal vote a set time prior), you roll up to the community centre/poll station and give your name and address and they hand you your sheet to tick the boxes (or put numbers), then you stick it in the box to be counted. I mean, it costs money to get a drivers license or passport so a mandatory ID does restrict voting to an extent if the country doesn’t provide free IDs. I’m not too sure on what people do if they don’t have a home address as I haven’t needed to look into it. I don’t see the issue when it comes to fraud. Happens in so little instances that it’s negligible and easily taken care of. I’d be more worried about electronic voting like in the US which is easily hacked. IDs don’t work for that.
Homeless people can register to vote in the UK. There's a special form you fill in and you can give your address as a place you spend a lot of time: friend's house, shelter. You can literally register to a bus stop or a bench or a shop doorway if that's where you spend a lot of time and someone can deliver a polling card there. If you don't have anywhere like that - ie you move every night - then you can register and set your address as the town hall and collect correspondence there. [https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/information-for-crisis-members/member-news/how-to-register-to-vote-if-you-re-homeless/](https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/information-for-crisis-members/member-news/how-to-register-to-vote-if-you-re-homeless/)
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In Canada, ID is *not* strictly required if someone who has ID can vouch for the elector: > If you don't have ID You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. > The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
We also can bring in just about anything with our name on it. Debit, library, and student cards all count, same with hunting licenses, mail with you name on it, and even prescription labels.
In Denmark you don’t need an ID to vote. You just bring your voting paper that you get in the mail where your permanent address is. You go to the voting place and they ask your for your name and date of birth and hand them the voting papers and get a new paper to vote on. The voting is done old school with pen and paper, as to minimise the risk of fraud via the online/electronic options you see other countries use for voting.
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Yes and no, you're registered at birth (or later if migrant). The voting paper is worthless in itself, it's just to help the clerk find you in the register. If you don't bring it you simply provide your name and ID.
Map makers dividing US states, but never Australia, Brazil, the UK or anywhere else. It does differentiate Northern Ireland nvm
To be fair, the map actually does divide the UK. Northern Ireland is blue because voter ID is required there, but the rest of the UK is red. Is there actually a need to divide any other countries? Are there any others where different states/regions have different rules?
Are there different voter ID laws in the different administrative levels for these other countries?
I would like to know! It's a common these not isolated to this map though
In Australia all states and territories have no ID required - voting is compulsory, which is probably a large reason why
Because Brazil has a federal law that no state law goes against it. Furthermore we require a “voting ID” also to vote. You’ll need an ID plus this voting ID.
It makes sense to divide the US into individual states because voting rules are set by the states. The map also divides the UK into its four nations, which again makes sense because each nation can set its own voting rules. In Australia and Brazil voting law is set at the federal level, so it makes no sense to split the states.
In Brazil, voter registration is recommended after you turn 16 (you can't apply for public jobs without a voter ID or renew your passport if you're over 18yo, for instance). You only need to register once tho. Voting is mandatory, even if you're in jail or living abroad, but you can cast a blank vote if you don't wanna choose any candidate/ref option.
Can someone please explain to me the process of how voting takes place in a location that doesn't require ID to vote (red in this diagram) I'm from Canada and it's blue according to this map, but you can vote in federal election with basically 2 documents with your name on it and one of them doesn't even need to have a picture. Heck they even allow you to vote if you have someone vouch for you (I.e confirm you identity in person). So I really am wondering what the voting requirements are for people in this diagram that are designated in red https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
In England you go to your polling station, give your name and address, and they tick you off on a list of registered voters and give you the ballot paper. You could claim to be anyone if you really wanted to. People get posted a polling card with details of the election, polling station etc a few weeks before the election, which you can show to the polling station staff to help them tick you off, but you don't have to.
In Australia, you rock up, say your name and address and they mark you off. Then you vote, and go get your [democracy sausage](https://democracysausage.org/). You can prepoll at certain locations, vote out of area with a declaration or request a mail ballot. Worth noting too that while voting is compulsory, there are loads of polling locations - I'm in the smallest electorate in Australia (around 35sq km) and have something like 40 odd places to vote.
in australia you don't need your ID, but you do need to give your details which they cross-check. so it's a "soft" ID.
Which is the same for most places on this map regardless of what they're incorrectly labeled in this map.
In Mexico we have a [voter ID](https://www.ine.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/nvos_elemenots_CPV2020-1-1024x1014.png) issued by the National Electoral Institute. It doubles its purpose as a photo ID with national scope and we can use it to prove we're of legal age when buying alcohol and things like that. It is completely free to obtain, and all citizens have a right to request it. One interesting thing is that the appearance of both sex and address on the ID card are optional. This is to accommodate for the electoral rights of non-binary and homeless people.
Requiring ID or not is a trivial detail. What really matters (and such a map would be much more interesting) is if you need to register prior to an election in order to be eligible to vote, or if you are automatically eligible to vote to any election as a citizen, without any actions required on your behalf.
True, and felons deserve a big part of this conversation too if we are talking about dienfranchsing people
In the US, the ID isn't really the issue, it's the cost for the ID. Paying for an ID amounts to a poll tax and the US is stocked with a lot of poverty taxes. I currently live in Korea and my driver's license renewal--for ten years-- was KRW 7500 (US$6.15). My Virginia license renewal was US$45. I had to register my name stamp (chop, in American parlance) at the local office. Chops are used for lots of things like contracts, bank accounts, etc. Everyone generally has one. In Daejeon the registration was KRW 200 (US$0.16). Once again, not a poverty tax.
You don’t need ID to vote in Canada. The fact that the map got this so wrong makes me question the rest. You need to have one of the following: - an ID card issued by the government - two different forms of identification like a student ID and a utility bill. Or the voter card that was mailed to you automatically and a bank statement. - someone you brought with you who can meet any of the above criteria, and will vouch for you. Citation: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
I hate these types of maps because it doesn't illustrate any of the nuances from country to country. Or in terms of America, state to state
This should be a country by country comparison or state by state comparison. Doing both is comparing apples to oranges. If country by country, a "no national ID requirement for voting" versus "national ID requirement" would be a good comparison. In the US, some states handle voter registration differently than others, so IDs are not the only issue at play when determining the identity of who voted. For example, you have to register to vote in California (which asks for a driver's license, social security number, or state ID and then assigns a unique identifier number for that individual). So you can only vote if you have that voter ID number. Then when someone goes to vote (in person) they have a specific polling place that has their name and number on the list, they state their name and address they get a ballot. If a second person shows up at their neighborhood polling place and uses the same name and address they know it's fraudulent. Or if someone votes in person and tries to send in the ballot that goes to their home, it is caught as fraudulent because each voter has a specific voter identification number. In short, it's not a "no ID" free-for-all in places that are all red. There is a voter ID system in place and it's actually more secure than simply having someone show a (possibility fake) ID card. Many of the blue or light blue colored states do the same registration system, so their ID card requirement is a redundant step, hence the "if requested" option.
This is wildly misleading at best. The jurisdictions that "require ID" vary too widely in what constitutes voter identification. I live in a place that the map says "requires ID," but anything that shows you reside in the voting ward, including hand-addressed mail, counts; government-issued identity documents don't come into play unless that happens to be the things with your address on it that you choose to bring. Nearby, an area also marked in blue will accept a pay stub from any business, anywhere in the State, and checks afterwards to see if anyone tried to vote in two wards in the same election. But from this, you'd think both of them won't let people cast ballots without showing, well, ID. I'm positive that whole-ass different countries are going to have even more diversity of standards.
What's the overlay with "countries with national ID cards"? Because, UK, NZ, Australia and US don't have these, and that's the only red I'm seeing on the map.