"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" returns to HBO last Sunday and focused his efforts on a topic that again, is seriously affecting millions around the country: voting and in particular, the requirement to have an ID just to vote. The voter ID law in different states has become one of the most talked about issues related to the elections since they tend to limit a lot of people from voting.
The host highlights big problems related to this law. One of those problems is the fact that half a million registered voters in Texas do not have any form of valid ID that could allow them to vote as reported by The New York Times. The main reason for the need of a valid ID is the possibility voting impersonation and the possibility that dead people might end up voting. However, the numbers are very low and the punishment just to get one vote through impersonation is very high that it's just not worth the effort.
On the other hand, Oliver highlights the practice of some lawmakers who actually votes in behalf of other lawmakers. Videos were shown where lawmakers actually press the voting buttons of other lawmakers who happen to be absent on that day "they are literally competing to press other people's voting buttons."
There are even lawmakers who have sticks specifically to reach over other lawmaker's voting buttons where John remarks, "if you are going to pervert democracy, could you at least, do it with a less creepy stick...that looks like one evil leprechaun use to beat a child."
Although John Oliver did not focus on candidates, he certainly did focus on a very sensitive topic. Now that he has highlighted the issues, it will certainly become a popular topic for discussion or as Time would call it, the "John Oliver Effect."
Watch Oliver's segment on voter ID laws here:
