The Texas Voter ID bill has officially been passed. One of the main supporters of the bill was Rep. Jose, Aliseda. According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, upon being interviewed about his support, Aliseda repeatedly noted that Mexico requires voters to present a government ID that features biometric data.
The voter ID cards used in Mexico contain multiple fingerprints, and include a face/photo and iris scan. Information is stored on a magnetic strip on the card. These cards were created in hopes to increase security at the borders. Every citizen must be scanned and enrolled in this program. Previously, Mexican citizens used voter ID cards as a form of identification. The old voter ID cards contained a photo, signature, and one fingerprint.
Even though Aliseda brings up a solid argument about Mexico’s strict voter ID cards, the reason Mexico decided to use these is different than Texas’ reason. The promoters of the Texas Voter ID bill are trying to stop voter fraud, while Mexico is trying to stop violence. In 2009, the Mexican government was faced with the prospect of civil war due to border violence. After that occurrence, the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, and the Mexican government sought to change the identification cards. The government hoped the “ID will help combat illegal immigration and reduce the presence of undocumented workers, privacy advocates see things differently” (Biometric National ID card for Mexico). I believe that Aliseda’s argument was interesting regarding Mexico but the facts are too different to compare the two locations.
-Charli Henderson  |
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Sources:
http://www.biometricsadvisor.com/index.php/2009/07/159/
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/24/2131505/voter-id-bill-passes-in-texas.html#ixzz1Jck6LUli
I can't help but wonder how American's (those for and against Voter IDs at the polls) would react if they were subjected to getting special Voter ID's with this much information stored about them on the card? I see some people perhaps switching their opinions if their privacy is infringed on too much...
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