The ID Divide - HIGHLIGHTS

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http://www.americanprogress.org/pressroom/releases/2008/06/ID_Divide_Release.html This spring, 12 nuns were turned away from voting booths during the Indiana presidential primary because they lacked state identification (none of them drove). This was a stark reminder that the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld Indiana's voter ID law poses lasting consequences for our democracy. This issue of voter identification is just one of the identification issues addressed in a major new report by Cassandra Butts and Peter Swire: "The ID Divide: Addressing Problems of Identification and Authentication in American Society." Much like the "digital divide," the ID Divide is an easily overlooked but vital reality that affects many in our country. Over 20 million adult citizens lack government-issued photo ID, while victims of identity theft and those put on watch lists also fall on the wrong side of the divide. Badly-designed new ID programs, furthermore, may well impose large costs on ordinary citizens, including raising the risk of identity theft. The report stems from the Progressive Identity Project, which included experts in the many areas affected by identification issues: national and homeland security, immigration, voting rights, electronic health records, computer security, and privacy and civil liberties. The report proposes six new Progressive Principles for Identification, and sets forth a comprehensive approach for how the next administration should address issues of identification and authentication. Featured Panelists: Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies, Cato Institute Bruce Schneier, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, BT Counterpane Peter P. Swire, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; C. William ONeill Professor at the Moritz College of Law of the Ohio State University Tova A. Wang, Vice President for Research, Common Cause Moderated by: Cassandra Q. Butts, Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy, Center for American Progress