Although a (legal) resident alien, e.g. someone on a student visa, could get a driver's license or state ID card there is no way such a person could legally get a Social Security Number.

https://txapps.texas.gov/txapp/txdps/chl/

The answer to your question is therefore "Yes."

SS says they DO need (and get ) a card

http://www.ssa.gov/immigration/

Social Security and entering the United States of America

Whether you are a student or a teacher, a farm worker or a businessperson, a refugee or a temporary resident, if you are an immigrant and you need to do business with Social Security, you have come to the right place.
If English is not easy for you

We can help you in two ways:

You can find out about the Social Security program by reading information in one of the 15 languages offered on our Multilanguage Gateway; and
We can provide an interpreter for you when you call or visit Social Security. Read If You Need An Interpreter to find out how we can help you when you contact us.

Getting a Social Security card

To work in the United States, you will need a Social Security card that has your Social Security number. You can find general information about Social Security cards by reading our online publication, Social Security Numbers For Non-Citizens.

There are two ways to get a Social Security card:

The easiest way is to apply for a card as part of the immigration process in your home country before you come to the United States. You can do this when filing an application for an immigrant visa with the U.S. Department of State. For information on how to use this process, read Social Security Numbers And Immigrant Visas.
If you did not get a Social Security card as part of the immigration process, read Get Or Replace A Social Security Card to find out how to get one in the United States.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InternetForms/Forms/CHL-16.pdf

Am I missing something?

I guess there could be a push for non citizens to get CHLs and then rush off to vote,,. It sounds "legal" to me

just to own a gun, only to concealed carry a gun...there are id and background checks required to get a chl in Texas.

A concealed carry license in Texas does not require one to prove citizenship

... in Texas.

Are you thinking about moving to Texas and packing?

I just think it's the height of hypocrisy to rant & rave about the "purity" of the vote and how people have to prove their citizenship to vote, but a legal ID TO vote is a document that does not require proof of citizenship.

so it would not be hypocrisy to argue for both.

Actually it would be hypocritical to say that requiring an ID for voting denies people their right to vote while arguing that requiring an ID to own a gun does not violate your 2nd amendment rights.

just demonstrates that you're the person listed on the voter roll. The check for citizenship would occur during voter registration.

So I'd say that, if voter ID is required, it's best to accept as many forms of ID as possible, regardless of whether those forms are limited to citizens or not...

to purchase a gun they run a background check where you also need an ID.

The law is supposed to be about verifying the person voting, not figuring out if they are eligible to vote (which is done at registration).

IMHO they should use the same requirements as TSA for boarding Airplanes:

U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DOD civilians)
Permanent Resident Card
Border Crossing Card
DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
Drivers Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
A Native American Tribal Photo ID
An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
A foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/acceptable_documents.shtm

Note it is possible (except for maybe a permanent resident card) that you may have an out of state DL or foreign passport and still be an eligible voter.

I don't really have a problem with allowing a concealed permit -- the requirements are more rigorous than most of the ID's above (other than maybe TWIC and trusted traveler).

That being said, they should scratch the requirement entirely.

and have the govt make the first one free..

We KNOW the people who were born here and who were naturalized, and who died..it's really a no-brainer.

Hire enough people to process them all and get it done.. India is well on their way to issuing biometric ID for all its citizens..why can't we figure out how to do it?

If people do not want the passport to vote with or to travel, they can put it in their sock-drawer.

especially older ones.

If they weren't born in a hospital (many rural areas until after WWI or later), or the state didn't track vital records from hospitals, they may not have a birth certificate.

Baptismal, census records, or other records might be able to be used if available.

If they don't have the above, a affidavit with 2 people signing it who had *personal knowledge* of the birth, but most people in their 80's have outlived their family.

We had this problem with my great-grandfather about 15 years ago (before 9/11), and although we eventually got him one, it wasn't easy. We eventually got his grandfathers enlistment records from the Civil War, proof he had lived in Memphis / MS for almost 70 years. If one of our extended family members hadn't done an extensive genealogical records search, it would have been almost impossible.

Macro trumps micro when it comes to governmental things, but in any case, by having MOST people "passported", that would free up resources for the trickier cases like the one you delineated

For those cases, proof that they HAVE voted should suffice, and those few could be "grandfathered in". Frankly, in a few more years, those people who were born before hospital birthing became the norm, will be gone ...but until then, they should be allowed to continue to vote based on the fact that they HAVE been voting already

will be screaming "no national ID's" we have been down this road before and they relate it to Nazi Germany and "your papers please" Good luck though.