Voter IDs: Restoring voter confidence or a phony excuse?

Controversy surrounds the requirement that voters show IDs before voting. One valid argument suggests that voter identification cards help restore voter confidence in the elections. The thought is that voter fraud will be prevented as only qualified voters, and not illegal aliens for instance, will be permitted to vote. Another equally valid argument suggests that there is a phony urgency on voter fraud, that may be a ruse to impose an additional burden, like the poll tax, in order to surpress minority vote. While the requirement for a picture ID voter card could burden some financially, particularly the poor of ALL races, it is not quite a pernicious poll tax. However, the government should possibly find the funding to issue FREE voter ID cards to those so burdened. This way we can all applaud steps taken to prevent voter fraud, without having references made to Jim Crow's poll taxes.