Honest question: why would someone of a certain race be less likely to own ID?

Some states require voter ID, but it can be difficult to obtain for certain groups, such as the poor or elderly. Those groups are less likely to have a drivers license or other ID. And those states deliberately make it difficult to obtain one by cutting locations and hours, and putting other roadblocks in the way. Those groups, particularly the poor, are disproportionately minorities, though they include whites as well.

My brother recently needed to renew his drivers license in Texas. He has lived there since 1971 and has driven and voted without a problem his entire adult life. But Texas is slowly losing Republican voters, so they have been implementing voter suppression efforts. When he went to renew his license, he found out that he needed to bring his birth certificate. Which he did, but even that wasn't enough as they would only take one that was certified by seal. His original birth certificate doesn't contain a seal because they didn't seal them in the 1950s. So now he has to apply for a sealed copy on his birth certificate from another state, pay $180 for it, wait a month, and then go back again and see if there are any other roadblocks to getting his ID that will allow him to drive and vote.

My understanding is that it is the cost, often.

This has been made worse by the "fee increase" trend. As states try to increase revenue, one way of claiming you did not raise *taxes* is to raise *fees* (so that, while the taxes claim is true with respect to this, the cost of living in a state is higher). The fee thing has been a go-to by (esp.) Republican governors/legislatures (as here in Michigan under Gov. Snyder, the previous gov. & a Republican).

Because being non-white increases your chances of being in poverty, driving with an invalid DL is cheaper than driving with one. [And if your state has gone to the "portrait mode" DL for UNDERAGE drivers and "landscape mode" for others, showing your license is the landscape type is probably sufficient.]

And if you WERE to let your DL lapse, there is often a greater fee for reinstating it (late fees). So it can be a vicious cycle.

As another comment stated, it makes voting for certain groups, like poor people, difficult. This transcends racial boundaries.

However, due to the US's pretty racist history, certain groups are disproportionately poor, so that's how race ties into this.

the argument for it doesn't hold water.
now I COULD see if they said OLD people - people that can't drive and are confined to nursing homes.

oh and you left out needing an ID to get a job or apply for benefits too.

without ID you don't exist.

A question for the brits only?

There is absolutely no challenge to getting a government ID in the States--- not in Texas, Not in West Virginia, Not in New York. Now, if you have a felony warrant for your arrest, now that I could see as an obstacle for any going to apply for an ID. I've had a government-issued ID since high school.

There are rural people, even now, born at home, no doctor's certificate of birth. They never get in the system. Rural folk are far less likely to have internet, much less computers or computer training. No social security number. No legal entry into society.

This is one reason Biden is working on getting rural internet for all.

You also need it to BUY alcohol, BY the way!

Honestly, I think the insinuation that POC are incapable of having ID is at the very least insulting, and at the very worst racist.

you need a state id to do all sorts of things from purchasing medicine, buying alcohol and cigarettes, driving a car, opening a bank account, getting food stamps, etc. the idea that a certain group of people are unable to get a state ID is insulting and yes, racist.

It is all about statistics, republicans have noticed that if you have a few more requirements more democrats will stay home. Democrats have noticed the same thing so they play the race card because it gets more attention.

Less likely to need id in their environment? Drivers license, school id, healthcare card etc. Would've been my suspicion

It is disinformation, period. There is no reason and it simply isn’t true. It is all a transparent ploy to rig elections and promote one party over another...

Who said that?

You’d think that suggesting they are incapable of sorting an ID out would be considered racist.. or insulting at the very least..

Nope showing ID is racist.. who would have thunk ey?

Lolz 😁

Exactly! They wouldn’t be! To suggest otherwise is covertly racist..,