(2/2) Now, as far as "voter ID" goes, the Republican party's obsession with enacting voter ID laws is nothing short of a deception. When it comes to "protecting the integrity of our elections," voter ID is at the bottom of the list. Republicans will tell you that voter ID policy is backed by bipartisan support, but what they won't tell you is that they advocate for strict requirements which would exclude most basic forms of ID. Americans support using these basic forms of ID to vote, but there is no data showing support for narrower requirements. This is because these requirements would act as an obstacle, not a preventative measure. What's really disingenuous about this whole campaign is that voter ID is not the only policy Republicans want to enact. Give them the chance and they will seize on it to roll back voting rights and impose widespread restraints. Voter ID just becomes a smokescreen and this is a compelling reason for obstructing their poorly disguised efforts to suppress the vote. Additionally, ID requirements exist in other countries because obtaining IDs in these countries is easier and voting is more accessible. Governments also automatically issue IDs to citizens in many countries where ID is required to vote. Republicans often argue against the use of basic forms of ID and automatic ID issuance. Ask yourself why Republicans clamor on and on for voter ID requirements, yet push back against policies that would help make voter ID a reality? And if all of that wasn't enough, other systemic issues exist that act as impediments to free and fair elections. Analyses show that when states have fair maps, drawn by independent commissions, representation is more evenly split—especially in Republican controlled states where Democrats gain seats when they otherwise wouldn't due to partisan redistricting efforts. When those same states are gerrymandered to hell, Republicans win more seats. Republicans also tend to be overrepresented in state legislatures, meaning they have broader control of gerrymandering. The GOP is capitalizing on this opportunity to consolidate power for the foreseeable future. Which means that their redistricting wars and voter suppression efforts will be ongoing, and the more this continues, the more it will chip away at the democratic process. In order to address this, gerrymandering practices must be eliminated, and redistricting must be left up to independent commissions in every state. The Citizens United ruling and our campaign finance system are also major obstacles standing in the way of free and fair elections. The rich and corporations have disproportionate control over the outcomes of our elections and far too much political influence. What's needed to address these problems are: 1. A complete overhaul of how our elections and candidate's campaigns are funded. 2. Significant campaign finance reforms that necessitate 100% transparency, publicly funded campaigns and predominant grassroots support, and massive regulations on Super PACs, lobbyists and political advocacy groups. 3. An end to Citizens United. We must also address foreign election interference efforts and the Republican party's failure to confront this pressing issue because they have benefitted politically from foreign election meddling for the last several elections. That said, if MAGA is genuinely intent on "protecting the integrity of our elections" and the democratic process, they should turn their attention to the myriad systemic issues that Donald Trump and the Republican party are hell bent on preserving instead of obsessing over unsubstantiated conspiracy theories from five years ago. But they won't... Instead they are fixated on this imaginary issue because that's precisely what those deciding our elections want from them.