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I mean, surely from the left's point of view the compromise of 'we'll make it easy to vote if you agree to ID checks' is a massive win? Soft voter suppression is a real issue wheras election security is a nothing-burger. "we'll solve this issue that loses you blues a fuckton of votes if we can also solve this issue that loses us reds basically no votes"? Ka-ching!
Of course, the left could always argue that even free and easy-to-get ID is still suppression as it might be too high of a hurdle for some of their voters (and they'd probably be right) but I don't see why they'd be opposed to the deal in principle.
Question is why don’t the democrats make that offer explicit? Perhaps one of your premises are wrong.
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No, it isn't. Claims of voter suppression hurting democrats, where falsifiable, have been falsified. Even liberal journalist rags admit this, the evidence is so overwhelming that it isn't happening. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/21/18230009/voter-id-laws-fraud-turnout-study-research
"Get rid of voter suppression" would do nothing except empower the federal government to throw more snitfits about state level policies. One almost suspects that putting more things under the remit of federal bureaucratic micromanagement is the actual goal.
I will admit I'm surprised at the results of that study, But if anything it backs up my point, or at least doesn't contradict it. Voter supression is more than just ID requirements, it's the general inconvenience of voting. Any compromise that the Reds could offer the Blues along the lines of "everyone needs voter ID but we'll make election day a day off" would be a massive win for the Blues. The Reds stand to gain nothing (as per your study) but the Blues get to defang a major Red talking point while gaining no votes at worst and a boatload of them at best.
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