As the 2016 election season heats up, I am hearing more and more about how Republicans are trying to make it harder for blacks and other minorities to vote via strict Voter ID laws. They are not targeting these groups because of their race, but because they typically vote Democratic no matter what the issues are and no matter who the Democratic nominee is. But aside from the reason, what is wrong with voter ID laws, even strict ones? I am open to correction by some libertarian who thinks I am wrong, but even though I don’t vote, it seems to me that without some kind of a voter ID law someone who is not even registered to vote could go to every precinct in his county (and every other county in as many states as he could on election day and during early voting) and say: “I am John Smith, give me a ballot.” He could then vote over and over again for every Democratic (or Republican) candidate. What am I missing here? Enlighten me if you are a libertarian who opposes Voter ID laws, strict or loose.

The Best of Laurence M. Vance