11% of Americans don't have a Photo I.D. Isn't that a problem?
After yesterday's SCOTUS decision on the VRA, I started wondering how many Americans don't have Photo I.D. I came across some pretty sobering statistics from a 2006 telephone survey conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice. Here are a few tidbits from their report:
--As many as 11% of United States citizens – more than 21 million* individuals – do not have government-issued photo identification.
--As many as 7% of United States citizens – 13 million individuals* – do not have ready access to citizenship documents.
--At least 12% of voting-age American citizens earning less than $25,000 per year do not have a readily available U.S. passport, naturalization document, or birth certificate.
--Many of those who possess ready documentation of their citizenship do not have documentation that reflects their current name. For example, only 66% of voting-age women with ready access to any proof of citizenship have a document with current legal name.
--18% of American citizens age 65 and above do not have current government-issued photo ID
--25% of African-American voting-age citizens have no current government-issued photo ID, compared to 8% of white voting-age citizens. This amounts to more than 5.5 million* adult African-American citizens without photo identification.
--16% of Hispanic voting-age citizens have no current government-issued photo ID
--At at least 15% of voting-age American citizens earning less than $35,000 per year do not have a valid government-issued photo ID.
--10% of voting-age citizens who have current photo ID do not have photo ID with both their current address and their current legal name. This is especially true for young adults.
*Numbers reflect 2000 census data
Keep in mind that this study was conducted as a telephone survey, and telephone surveys, by their nature, tend to under-represent the poor because the poor are less likely to have access to a working phone. Thus, the percentage of Americans without photo ID is quite likely higher than the figures reported here. (Also, this survey was done in 2006, before the economy totally crashed.) Plus, this survey only included U.S. citizens and not other types of U.S. residents.
Isn't this a problem?!
Besides concerns about voter ID laws, the lack of valid photo identification makes it very difficult to do many things in life, such as applying for a job, opening a bank account, receiving health-care, applying for state benefits, taking the GED, applying for a library card, etc.
And getting a government-issued photo ID is not an easy process, even under the best of circumstances. I've done it four times in the last ten years (2 states and 2 passports), so I speak from experience. In order to get photo identification, I've had to reorder my lost birth certificate (which required certain documents to prove my identity), and I've had to change my name on my social security card after getting married (which required a marriage certificate).
It takes money, time, access to transportation, some kind of proof of your existence, and a permanent address to do these things!
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I still have my Hawai'i ID. To get a California ID, one must go to the infamous DMV, which is not in the center of town (I do not drive), and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait. 
And at the end of the day, what you get is a printout that says "Temporary California ID"; the actual ID is mailed to you within thirty days. Thirty days?! Needless to say, TSA is not happy when you show up at the airport with a piece of paper that says "Temporary California ID". 
My CA driver's license expired after I came to Ohio and my car is dead and gone (I miss you bessie!) - the only place to get one now is the west side of Columbus (I live on far east side). Even if the driver test was free and I had a loaner car I would not have the money for gas or the fees. And even if I had a ride to get a state ID I would probably need my birth certificate (which is $25 plus bus fare or $40 to order online) which I also don't have (I think my X threw it away way back in the 90's along with a lot of my old books).
I have passed my drivers' test in Ohio when I was younger, passed one in CA, and now have to take both written and driving for a third time...sigh, such is life 
Hard to get a job without one (have a part time job already). It is like a bad cycle - no money for a license and car which makes it hard to get the good jobs I know I can get (computer field, have some old co-workers who could hire me in if I had a way there).
Off work for a spell until my Dr releases me back so no income at all really. It is a cycle that is hard to break - on the brink of getting life working really well after many years of frustrations and problems. But the little things have become huge mountains. Had a chance to get a good car from a neighbor for 500 bucks - but no license, no money, no way to get a full time job, license, etc....
As far as showing ID - don't really go to bars Don't have a regular bank account to worry about (have a debit card). If I had a few bucks to buy some beer or something I know a gas station that does not ask for ID.
