About a month or so ago, I suggested that everyone needs a passport or

[OneGrassRoot]

11. REAL ID won't work! It is for identity only, not citizenship. More info:

This is the PSA I posted on FB:

PSA for anyone whose current legal name does not match the name on their birth certificate:
The GOP is pushing "proof of citizenship" to vote in the US to prevent undocumented people voting which is essentially nonexistent. But this would impact many other people.

I just went through the mess of getting my license renewed and learning about REAL ID. I chose not to get REAL ID because it would have required I provide a marriage license AND divorce certificate because they need to be able to trace all legal events leading from your birth name to your current name. If you're facing this and don't have a passport and can afford to get one, do that. It's actually easier than REAL ID if your name doesn't match what is on your birth certificate.

But the proof of citizenship for voting brings this issue into play. The same would be true to be able to vote. Your current name must match what is on your birth certificate. A passport IS proof of citizenship but a REAL ID is merely proof of identity, not citizenship.

I imagine this impacts women most (shocker) but other US citizens would be impacted as well.

All in all, with the way things are going as far as proof of ID and citizenship, I strongly encourage people to get passports or make sure you have the necessary documents to show the trail of why your name changed from what is on the birth certificate. I have a passport but ordered my marriage and divorce certificates just in case. Some sort of fund should be started for low-income persons who can't afford a passport or the various other documents needed. This is one example of why democrats oppose increasing barriers to voting because 9 times out of 10 it impacts people who have a right to vote but can't afford to due to changing ID requirements.