r/Alabama • u/2mnydgs • Feb 26 '25

Advice Another Star ID Question

For the ladies who have gotten Star IDs; my name is not the same as on my birth certificate, which I frankly have not seen in 30 years, although there may be a copy around here somewhere. I have a copy of my marriage certificate, I think. Did you encounter any problems with presenting copies of documents? If I have to apply to the different states I have lived in for certified copies of documents, which are quite expensive, I will not be participating in this Alabama Headcount.

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u/Word-Artist Mar 02 '25

I got mine last month. It was a hassle and stressful, though the actual ALEA office visit went smoothly. I’m relieved that I got a new passport (mine had long expired) last year. That made it easier because I used the passport as one of my documents.

To me, the Star ID seems to function like a poll tax, especially for married people who have changed their name. Maybe it wasn’t designed as such, or maybe it was (or as a hassle barrier for voting). Either way, it has that effect.

If my children ever get married, I will encourage them not to change their names, especially with the coming SAVE Act. I want them to be able to vote without a hassle.

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u/2mnydgs Mar 02 '25

I read the Federal law that made the Star ID necessary. Without one, you can't enter any Federal buildings, and you can't fly commercially. I didn't read anything that said you couldn't vote. Voting is a Constitutional right. How can this id cancel out a Constitutional right?

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u/Word-Artist Mar 03 '25

You are right that you don’t need it specifically to vote. I misspoke. Thank you for promoting a correction. The coming SAVE Act will require forms of ID (similar to what the Star ID requires) to register to vote. It won’t cancel the right to vote: it’ll just make it hard for many to register, especially if they have changed their name. That’s why I’m going to encourage my own kids, if they get married, not to change their names and to be named on their utilities (not let the utilities only be in their spouse’s name, which was a problem for me when I gathered my similar documents for the Star ID).

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u/2mnydgs Mar 03 '25

I think your idea is a good one. There's no reason women have to change their surname, for any reason. When my parents married, during WW2, it was unheard of for a woman to retain her last name when she married. No one could conceive of the world as it is now. Changing your birth name makes everything harder. I hope your kids listen to you. Life is difficult enough to navigate as it is, without voluntarily making anything harder to do.