I would assume someone, say, in their 80s, might not have immediate access to their birth certificate. Things happen. Papers get shuffled, misplaced, lost over decades. A birth certificate is not like a state issued ID that one typically carries in their wallet or purse. Replacing these things can be a difficult, frustrating, tedious process. I shouldn’t have to explain to a Republican that the bureaucracy is not often easy to deal with.  

I agree with you in principle. I don’t think it is exactly an absurd notion that a citizen obtaining proof of citizenship should be an easier, more streamlined process. Every citizen should have access to the voting booth without jumping through dozens of hoops.