I'm sure you've heard about the ongoing controversy regarding voter ID.
Republicans support requiring voters to show ID before being able to vote, as a security measure to prevent both double voting and fictitious registrations.
Democrats are against voter ID, claiming that it disenfranchises the poor and elderly, who may not have ID and can't get it easily.
Despite all the moral posturing, both sides are being self-serving with their positions. Republicans know that those without ID are more likely to vote Democrat, so they don't exactly want to solve the problem of these people not being able to vote. Democrats know the same thing, so they're willing to accept an absurdly low level of election security in order to gain these few extra votes. Were it reversed (people without ID being more likely to vote Republican instead of Democrat), you'd probably see the sides reversed on this one.
Anyway, the reality is that we can't toss election security out the window just to accommodate the small percentage of people with no ID. The way it stands, anyone can register any name to vote, and there's no check if that person exists. Then anyone can show up without ID (in states without an ID requirement) and claim to be that fictitious person.
In California, I could register my dog to vote, and then show up, say I'm my dog, and vote as him. Not joking. This would be incredibly easy to do, and I would never get caught.
If you think the above is acceptable, then you're a fool who doesn't give a shit about the legitimacy of our elections.
I've heard the dumb argument from Democrats of, "Studies have shown that there is very little fraud of this type", but that's a ridiculous counter. If an election is expected to be close, this could easily be exploited. It is insane to intentionally leave such a gaping hole in election security, regardless of what any "studies" say. It's like leaving your door wide open with $100,000 cash sitting on your kitchen table, because studies show that your neighborhood has a low crime rate.
On the other side, Repubilcans don't have the greatest answer, either. They basically say "tough luck" when it comes to the fact that people without ID -- and without easy access to their birth certificates to acquire ID -- are shut out from voting in ID-required models. There needs to be a better solution than simply shrugging your shoulders and leaving such a hurdle for these people to vote.
Anyway, I have an idea on how to solve all of this, using modern technology, and I'll post it in the next message....