“Voting is a right. If you take it away, you ruin democracy.” – John Oliver
Last night, John Oliver returned for the third season premiere of Last Week Tonight. And Oliver’s first targeted rant of the season covered voting ID laws which have become extremely controversial, especially in this Presidential election year.
Proponents of voter ID laws have argued that they are common sense measures to protect the integrity of the ballot. And to a certain extent, they have a point. But when it becomes nearly impossible for elderly and minority voters to get their own official IDs then there’s a big problem. In his new video, Oliver points out several of the hoops which people have to jump through just to get a new ID, and some of them border on the edge of insanity.
More damning is the footage of PA Republican Party Chair Robert Gleason gleefully admitting that the voting restrictions lowered President Obama’s margin of victory by 5% in the last Presidential election. Oliver also put the spotlight on “ghost voting,” a frequent practice of state legislators who vote for themselves and other lawmakers while arguing for voter ID laws without a hint of irony or self-awareness.
What do you think about Oliver’s latest video for Last Week Tonight? Let us know in the comment section below!
