Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed on Thursday that voter identification is “Jim Crow 2.0,” even though the vast majority of Democratic voters support it.
MS NOW host Jonathan Lemire cited a Pew Research survey from August, which found that 71% of Democratic voters support voter ID and questioned why he still opposes the idea. Schumer claimed that requiring a voter to show identification would prevent racial minorities and women from casting a ballot, which he claimed is the Republicans’ agenda.
“It’s Jim Crow 2.0, and I called it Jim Crow 2.0 and the right wing went nuts all over the internet. That’s because they know it’s true. What they’re trying to do here is the same thing that was done in the South for decades to prevent people of color from voting. For instance, if you’re a woman who got married and changed your last name, you won’t be able to show ID and you’ll be discriminated against. If you can’t find a birth certificate or a proper ID, you’ll be discriminated against,” Schumer said.
READ: Bill Maher, Stephen A. Smith Blast Chuck Schumer For Claiming Voter ID Bill Is Racist
“This is vicious and nasty and I said to our Republican colleagues, it will not pass the Senate,” Schumer continued. “You will not get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. We’re not reviving Jim Crow all over the country. And when the American people hear what exactly it is doing and what its intent is doing, they’re going to be against it as well.”
Republicans have pushed for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in U.S. elections. Democrats have claimed the legislation is a “voter suppression” bill that would disenfranchise people from voting if they did not have easy access to citizenship documents, such as a U.S. passport or a birth certificate.
The SAVE Act passed the House in April, but stalled in the Senate. Only four Democrats joined Republicans to pass the legislation.
READ: Voters Not Won Over By Any Candidates In Wide Open Senate Race, Poll Shows
Most European countries require voters to present government-issued identification before voting in person, with the United Kingdom being an exception until the country implemented photo identification requirements, according to SSRN.
CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said on Tuesday that the vast majority of every racial group supports voter ID, including 85% of white people, 82% of Latinos and 76% of black Americans.
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