You won’t find conspiracy or political platitudes in this article. Election integrity has become taboo at the political table, but it’s an important discussion for those with a biblical worldview. In spite of the pundit talking points, the majority of Americans favor voter ID. In an August 2025 Pew Research Center Survey, 83% of eligible voters, across political ideologies, favor voter ID. Republicans (95%), Democrats (71%), and Independents (71%) all support requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification to vote. So, why has it been so contested and controversial in public discourse? 

Opponents claim that voter ID initiatives would suppress the vote from marginalized groups. But does it? According to the NYU Law Center, 91% of voting age citizens have documentation readily available. Now, this is where I will inevitably lose people. But, please approach this without the noise and talking points. While the majority of American citizens are readily available to vote with ID, we have to address the ~9% of those who do not. When the state adds a requirement, it inherits a duty to prevent unnecessary barriers. State and federal legislators should work toward free and accessible IDs, board accepted options, and simple cure processes to protect eligible voters from being excluded. 

There is a biblical ethic that deeply supports this common-sense approach. Scripture repeatedly condemns false measures and commends honest administration (Proverbs 11:1, Leviticus 19:35-36). Voter ID requirement can be morally legitimate when it aims at truthful verification and public trust. There are leaders on both sides who seek to gain political advantage by supporting or condemning voter ID. As American citizens, we should desire voter integrity and participation for every citizen neighbor. Any political aim for or against voter ID for political gain is degrading. If a law favors the powerful and disenfranchises the marginalized, it fails biblical justice even if it looks good on paper. However, the desire of integrity, participation, and legitimacy is a noble pursuit for a shared society. Voter ID is ethically sound when it is attainable for every eligible voter. 

Elections decide who and what will hold power in our republic. It is not a grand conspiracy to claim that there are those who wish to manipulate it for political gain. Former U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice James F. Byrnes famously penned that “Power intoxicates men. It is never voluntarily surrendered. It must be taken from them.” There is much injustice in our shared humanity. My advice? Ignore the political platitudes. Contend for systems and laws that lead to public trust and principled outcomes. When done for the right reasons, voter ID can strengthen our institutions. A Christian can be in favor of voter ID and for equal participation for those who are eligible. Citizenship matters, and protecting the integrity of that privilege and the fairness of access is a moral obligation, not a partisan impulse.