Be Prepared To Bring Your ID To The Polls The Next Time You Vote In Arkansas

The Trump effect has struck yet again. After a measure calling for mandatory voter identification was overturned by the state supreme court back in 2013, Arkansas lawmakers went back to work and have managed to pass a law requiring everyone to present a voter ID before they can cast a ballot.

Laws like these should come as no surprise since Trump has made rampant accusations about voter fraud in the last presidential election. While his claims have been largely unsubstantiated, his influence on certain sectors of the population is undeniable. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson says that the revised version of the original bill should withstand any challenges--this time voter ID's will be the law of the land in Arkansas:

"This law is different, in a number of ways, than the previous law, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. It should hold up under any court review. For those reasons, I signed the bill into law," Hutchinson said according to Ebony.

While state legislators might see mandatory identification as something positive, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is adamant that the law deprives as many as 21 million voters across the country the right to vote. Not only are the laws unjustified as the amount of in-person voter fraud is minuscule, but the laws are discriminatory. Holly Dickson, the Arkansas ACLU director, says that while the new law is better than the old version, it will likely still hurt voters: "Of course we have concerns that voter ID is going to do harm because that's been Arkansas' experience so far with voter ID," Dickson said.

Access to proper identification is at the center of this debate because of the costs of obtaining documentation needed, lack of transportation (especially from rural areas), and the fact that more minorities lack identification than Whites. Therefore, critics of the measure are not optimistic. 

Bottom line is, voter ID laws reduce voter turnout. When the people can't vote, their interests will not be represented in government. Arkansas' motto is supposed to be Regnat Populus, or "the people rule." If this bill survives the scrutiny of the state's highest court, this could be a precedent that other states will use to follow suit. 

Stay woke, people. Before we know it, we will find ourselves right back in an era where Blacks and other people of color will disenfranchised all over again. No more power to the people.