Gov Pritzker and Rep Welch disenfranchise minorities, elderly, disabled, and poor by requiring photo ID for COVID-19 testing/masks –

Illinois (ECWd) –

During Friday’s Briefing, Governor Pritzker announced more state COVID drive-thru testing sites in various parts of the state.

Testing is open to everyone, and all a person needs to do is show up and present a photo ID to get the free COVID-19 test from the State’s drive-thru testing sites.

“This is a free service that can be obtained without a doctor’s referral. While this is a free service, you will be asked to show 1) photo identification and 2) healthcare employee or first responder ID/badge, if applicable.”

This free test could potentially save hundreds of lives, yet Pritzker’s administration is requiring a photo ID to get tested. Minority, elderly, disabled, and poor populations are statistically more susceptible to the virus with higher death rates, and facts presented by the ACLU suggest the same populations are more likely than others to not have photo IDs.

State Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the City of Bellwood are doing the same thing with their free mask give-away – “Photo ID Required” – we ask which is more important; photo IDs or protection from a deadly virus? It is obvious what is more important to Rep Welch.

We are not the ones claiming disenfranchisement of segments of the population, we are simply taking this straight from the ACLU’s website when they apply it to Voter ID. One could simply replace “Vote” with “COVID test” or “free mask” and have the same results.

The ACLU has a fact sheet on arguments against voter ID (here), would these same arguments not apply to potentially live-saving COVID-19 testing?

Key ACLU points below:

• Many Americans do not have one of the forms of identification states acceptable for voting. These voters are disproportionately low-income, racial, and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities.  Such voters more frequently have difficulty obtaining ID, because they cannot afford or cannot obtain the underlying documents that are a prerequisite to obtaining a government-issued photo ID card.

• Voter ID Laws Deprive Many Americans of the Right to Vote

• Obtaining ID Costs Money. Even if ID is offered for free, voters must incur numerous costs (such as paying for birth certificates) to apply for a government-issued ID.
• Voter ID Laws Reduce Voter Turnout.

• Voter ID Laws Are Discriminatory

• Minority voters disproportionately lack ID.

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