Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared on Fox News’ Special Report on Thursday to comment on the passing of Nelson Mandela–and to exploit Mandela’s death for his own campaign against “voter suppression,” i.e. laws requiring photo ID at the voting booth on Election Day.
Unfortunately for Rev. Jackson, South Africa requires photo ID to vote. South Africa’s Electoral Commission notes in its FAQ section that “you can vote in national and provincial elections as long as you have your valid, green, bar-coded ID and you are registered to vote.” The ID includes a photograph.
That does not prevent fraud. While in South Africa, this reporter has personally witnessed members of the ruling party handing out photo ID books on Election Day. So even photo ID is not a panacea. But it certainly makes fraud more difficult–something Mandela understood.
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