A new law in South Carolina now requires voters to show proof of identification from a government issued id, which can include a driver’s license or state ID card. While many advocates for the poor have challenged the law as limiting the rights of poor voters, an entirely different community may be affected.
Instead, many fear the law will greatly affect the elderly, specifically those who live in retirement communities and have neither driving licenses nor state ID cards. These residents often stay within their community, do not drive, but are very active members of the voting pool.
The law is set to go into effect during the next voting cycle next year, however it is currently under review by the U.S. Justice Department who will determine if it complies with the Voting Rights Act. Similar requirements have been passed in several other states, with the intention of limiting voter fraud.
