ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said it was absurd not to require identification to vote in elections during a Tuesday interview on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity.”
Smith noted on the podcast that New York City mandated multiple forms of identification for New Yorkers in February who wanted gigs shoveling snow. He and host Sean Hannity agreed that it was foolish to require identification to shovel snow, but not to vote.
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“If the mayor of New York City is requiring two IDs to shovel snow, to shovel snow, to shovel snow — really? To shovel snow? How the hell do you not need ID to vote?” Smith asked. “I mean, it’s just ridiculous.”
After Hannity said it was “stupid,” Smith said it was “absolutely dumb.”
The New York City Department of Sanitation listed two original forms of identification and a Social Security number as requirements for registration to earn money shoveling snow ahead of a major blizzard. However, New York City’s Board of Elections does not mandate registered voters present identification at the polls unless they failed to provide it when registering.
President Donald Trump asserted that he would not sign any legislation until the passage of the SAVE America Act in a Sunday Truth Social post. The law would mandate documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration — including by mail — and require photo identification for federal elections, along with directing states to confirm citizenship and remove non-citizens from federal voter rolls.
Moreover, Smith warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer against labeling the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as “Jim Crow 2.0” during a February episode of SiriusXM’s “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.”
“Don’t engage in that kind of hyperbole. Because we’re living in the year 2026. And when you start bringing up Jim Crow 2.0, you’re trying to hearken back to a time that most people recognize — no, we’re not living in those times right now,” Smith said. “Of course we’ve got our troubles … Don’t do that because that’s playing right into Trump’s hands.”
He also suggested that he would likely not run for president during the episode of “Hang Out with Sean Hannity.”
“Let me put the presidential aspirations to bed,” Smith said. “If I have to give up my money, it’s not happening.”
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