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by verdverm 1742 days ago
What if we compare the arguments in this case with the arguments around voter ID laws?
1 comments

That's a great idea. The arguments against both are nearly identical, from my perspective.

There's a big difference in these scenarios, in that the argument FOR vaccine passports is much stronger, in that the vaccines provide some level of herd immunity. There is no evidence that voter fraud is occurring at high rates in the US to have voter ID barriers (the alleged purpose, though not the true one).

Intent also matters. The intent of vaccine passports is to reinforce the importance of herd immunity, to emphasize the legitimacy of the vaccines, and to protect frontline workers. The real intent of Voter ID laws (and voter roll purging, etc) is to disenfranchise. The intent taints the process, even if some of the components are reasonable (more options for valid photo-ID, more rigorous proof-of-residence rules, and more careful record keeping, etc).

What if the arguments being made against each, rather than for, are compared?

Vaccine passports will likely require photo id to ensure you are the person with the vaccination record. If requiring IDs to vote disenfranchises a portion of the population, wouldn't requiring IDs for X have the same effect? In example, what happens to those who cannot get an ID due to immigration status or other reasons?

In places that implement vaccine passports now, photo IDs aren't used. Rather QR codes on your phone are used. Check out https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/08/11/south-dakotan-livin...

But then again, some states are experimenting with digital IDs on your phone also (so you don't have to carry around your DL anymore).

This is separate from the idea of comparing the arguments against requiring IDs from the cross product of { two camps X two applications }