Voter Identification (ID) Law, one of the most talked about political issues is in the news again and the focus is now shifted from the presidential administration: “A model of Duplicate registrations found nationwide show that voter fraud is both massive and systemic. Yet the Obama administration claims there is no problem and that voter ID requests are racist” (Investor's Business Daily) American citizens have one of the greatest fundamental rights in the free world, the ability to vote in our democratic system. Voter ID laws are methods that are intended to prove that the registered voter is who they say they are. The laws require registered voters to show identification before they can vote. "Pennsylvania, Kansas, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, have the strictest written laws that voters will not be allowed to vote without first showing identification. 'valid identity with photo' (Lee). So what's really the big deal about having to show ID to vote since everyone has had at least one ID to prove who they were since birth? Meet Melowese Richardson, Ohio's beloved Democratic voter fraud criminal. Richardson pleaded no contest to voter fraud and was sentenced to five years in prison. Incredibly, he served just eight months after it was discovered he had voted six different times during the November 2012 presidential election. "Voter ID laws require people to show government-approved identification when voting on Election Day" (Wilson and Brewer). Many people believe these laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud, others argue that fraud is extremely rare and that voter ID laws can suppress voting. Voter fraud undermines public trust in democracy, and that's why we need, if you're a Democrat...... middle of paper ......2012 elections that include the state map showing the Republican (red) and Democrat (blue) voting statistics. Wilson, David C. and Paul R. Brewer. “The Foundations of Public Opinion on Voter ID Laws: Political Predispositions, Racial Resentment, and Information Effects.” Public Opinion Quarterly 77.4 (2013): 962. ProQuest. May 11, 2014 Voter ID laws require people to show government-approved identification when voting on Election Day. Sobel, Richard and Robert Ellis Smith. “Voter ID laws discourage participation, particularly among minorities, and trigger a constitutional remedy for lost representation.” PS, Political Science and Politics 42.1 (2009): 107-10. ProQuest. May 11, 2014 Minority voters who tend to be poorer and less educated are less likely to have a driver's license or the resources to obtain an official photo ID.