Starting May 7, Americans will need a Real ID to board domestic flights and enter federal buildings, a change the Department of Homeland Security has been pushing for years.
The Real ID Act, passed in 2005 after the 9/11 attacks, aims to tighten security by requiring state-issued IDs to meet federal standards, complete with a star in the corner to prove authenticity.
Meanwhile, voting in elections across the country remains a different story, where identification rules are often lax, and in some states, a photocopied utility bill still suffices.
The deadline for Real ID compliance has been delayed multiple times, most recently due to the pandemic, but officials insist this time it’s for real. TSA agents will soon turn away anyone whose driver’s license doesn’t meet the new criteria, leaving travelers scrambling to update their documents.
Over in the voting booth, however, the standards appear to be drastically different, with critics pointing out that a fake ID can still get you a ballot in many places.
“This is about keeping Americans safe,” said a college student who was born after September 11, 2001.
Election officials in states like California and New York, where voter ID laws are minimal, see it differently. They argue that requiring strict identification at the polls could disenfranchise millions.
“Voting is a sacred right, and we don’t want to put up unnecessary barriers,” said California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, brushing off concerns about fraudulent documents.
Back at the airport, a TSA spokesperson clarified that even a passport won’t cut it if it’s not Real ID-compliant, a detail that’s already sparking confusion among frequent flyers. The contrast hasn’t gone unnoticed by travelers, some of whom wonder why boarding a plane demands more scrutiny than picking a president.
In 17 states, no photo ID is required to vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“I just spent $40 and three hours at the DMV to get my Real ID so I can fly to Miami next month,” said Greg Tanner, a 34-year-old mechanic from Ohio. “But my cousin voted last year with a library card he made in his basement.”
Republicans have pushed for tighter voter ID laws, citing cases like a 2022 sting in Texas that uncovered fake registrations tied to nonexistent addresses. Democrats, meanwhile, maintain that such incidents are rare and that the bigger threat is low turnout, not impersonation.
“It’s absurd we’re treating a Southwest flight like Fort Knox while elections are basically the honor system,” said Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who’s been vocal about the mismatch.
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