system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Explain the whole voter ID controversy in the US.

Saw one of my more conservative relatives railing about how you're considered a racist now for supporting voter ID. I have something of an idea of what it's about, but haven't done much research.
gpt
Basically, IDs take time to get. The most common one is a drivers licence, but not everyone needs to drive. Some don't have cars, some are too old to drive, some are still in college and don't need to drive (or are from another state originally and have not converted their licence). 

These demographics, the very old, the very poor and students are disproportionately democratic. The very poor also has the added effect of being disproportionately less white than the population at large (which is part of what makes the group much more Democratic than Republican). 

So voter ID laws will have the effect of decreasing turnout by making it more difficult to vote. And those that will be less likely to vote are disproportionately Democratic and disproportionately not white. Some say the point is influenced by the latter, that it is racially motivated. But it is more likely to the former.

Now to be fair, supporters claim that this crackdown is in response to voter fraud. But such fraud just doesn't happen in any major degrees. In Ohio there were only 9 cases of the 3.8 million votes cast in 2010. Florida doesn't have a single reported case for that election. So while preventing fraud is the stated goal, its effect will swing states a small percentage towards Republicans that in part reduces the amount of minorities who vote. Weather that makes it racist or political is an argument to be had.