The largest point of contention with opponents of Mississippi’s Voter ID bill is that it would disenfranchise many poor and minority voters. The requirement of a photo ID is akin to a poll tax, opposition groups have said.

The U.S. Department of Justice will have the final say. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, any issue involving elections in Mississippi must be approved by the DOJ.

Supporters of the bill will counter that one cannot fly on an airplane or drive a car without a photo ID and that the disenfranchisement of voters claim is just a politically motivated move. In reality, not much can be accomplished in today’s world without photo ID.

Last week, the federal government announced that anyone receiving monthly federal benefits will have to have those benefits deposited electronically into a bank account, or applied to a debit card. To get a bank account, a photo ID will be required. To get the debit card, proof of identification will be required.

Will the pushback for voter ID be as stringent with the ID requirements to receive federal assistance? Will not Mississippians receiving federal aid be dissuaded from collecting those benefits because of the ID provision?

And it is not just dealing with federal matters.

Also last week, a blood drive was held at Walmart to help a 23-year-old Vicksburg woman suffering from a rare blood disease. The three requirements for giving blood were 1) be at least 17 years old, 2) weigh at least 110 pounds and 3) have valid photo identification. So even doing a positive thing for a struggling member of the community requires a photo ID.

The list of photo ID requirements is lengthy. Whether giving blood, picking up sports tickets from a stadium will-call booth or trying to open a bank account, a photo ID is required.

Showing an ID at a polling place, though, is claimed to be detrimental to the rights of poor and minority voters.

The logic behind the opposition to voter ID is simply flawed.