Colorlines, News Report, Posted: Oct 02, 2012

 When Minnesota voters head to the polls this November, they’ll decide on whether to amend their state’s constitution to “require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote,” and to mandate the state issue free ID to eligible voters beginning in July of 2013.

As we reported this summer, the amendment’s language is plagued with problems. So much so, that lawyers thought they could challenge the amendment from appearing on the ballot. But they lost in the state’s Supreme Court.

What voters won’t necessarily know when they vote on the measure is that only government-issued ID will be acceptable—not student IDs. And while the amendment requires the state to issue “free identification,” it’s taxpayers who will be paying, as well as individuals who may need to travel as far as 100 miles to issuing agency, only after they’ve obtained a $26 birth certificate.

Outside of the legal arena, community groups have been doing their share of work to defeat the amendment—and are now using social media to spread their message. Our community journalist Lolla Mohammed Nur considers one campaign for, by, and about the communities that will face exclusion if the voter ID amendment is passed on Election Day.  Read more here.