Farmer is a junior political science and international studies double major from Thomasville, Ga. He is the current Copy Editor and former Opinions Editor. He is also a brother of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc.

Voter ID laws were a contentious issue leading up to the 2012 election, as many GOP-controlled state legislatures passed laws that the Democratic party said would disenfranchise and discriminate against minority groups. For states like Pennsylvania, the voter ID law was blocked until after the 2012 elections because people wouldn’t have enough time to adjust to the new law. So, it would make sense that states should be passing voter ID laws right now, giving their citizens ample time to adjust before the midterm elections in a year and a half.

So far, several states have put forth legislature that would either enact or strengthen voter ID laws in 2013. 12 have legislation to start requiring voter ID at the polls, however in New Mexico and Wyoming, those bills have already failed. Seven states that already have voter ID laws have attempted to strengthen those pieces of legislation with additional laws, but in Montana and Arkansas the bills have been tabled and vetoed, respectively.

Voter ID laws can be made so that the required IDs are easy to get and completely free. State governments can and will provide identification cards, which look a lot like a driver’s license, to their citizens. A few of my friends used these to take the SAT before they could get their driver’s licenses. The information and photo provided on the card is enough to satisfy any usual voter ID requirement, and provided one has enough time, the card is really a snap to get.

However, states like Georgia have passed stricter voter ID laws that are just a real pain for everyone. To get a new ID in Georgia one must provide a document proving your identity, i.e. a birth certificate, two proofs of address and a social security number. Think to yourself real quick, if you had to reapply for your driver’s license tomorrow, would you be able to? Of course, for many people who moved to Georgia, documents like a birth certificate are difficult to come by. Odds are your parents keep your birth certificate, which for some people means that their birth certificate is hundreds of miles away. Of course, the irony that many Republicans can’t properly recognize a Hawaii birth certificate yet demand to see birth certificates to get IDs is not lost on many.

Now is the right time to pass voter ID laws, but let’s all hope they contain some element of common sense.