Voter ID Laws

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The right to vote is one of the most important rights of every American. During elections, eligible voters are expected to turn out to cast their ballot. Over the years, many steps have been taken to protect the right of people to vote, but that appears to be changing. In the recent past, many states, including Texas, have passed restrictive voter ID laws that have hindered many people from voting. These voter ID laws deny people their right to vote in several ways. One of these is that some people cannot afford the charges associated with obtaining a government ID such a paying for birth certificates. Another reason is that more than twenty million Americans lack government-issued IDs; thus the new restrictive laws keep millions from voting. There is a raging debate on whether such laws affect voter turnout. Studies have given conflicting results, but these laws have generally been found to affect minority groups disproportionately. The Government Accountability Office examined the effect of Voter ID laws on voter turnout in 2014 and found a decline of between 1.9 and 2.2 percentage points in Kansas due to changes in the voter identification laws. Similarly, Tennessee registered a 2.2 to 3.3 percentage point decline in 2012 (Hajnal et al. 2017). Given the fact that Texas has a growing population of minorities, voter ID laws affect voter turnout.

Voter ID laws were introduced around the country from 2006, and since then, 34 states have passed some kind of voter identification law. These laws vary from state to state and require voters to present some form of a government-issued identification before they vote or register to vote. Examples of documents accepted as official identification include state ID, driver’s license, or passports, all of which contain photographs. Other forms of acceptable identification include paychecks and utility bills and receipts (De Alth 2009). However, voters who use the latter form of identification may be required to provide more proof of identification a short time after casting their ballot to validate their vote. The main reason given for the introduction of voter identification laws is to prevent fraud among voters and also to promote accuracy and protect ballots of all voters.

The voter ID laws are likely to negatively affect voter turnout, especially in the future. Some of the more restrictive laws require a voter to present official photographic ID, which may be difficult for some people to access. Examples of those who might find it challenging to access these required IDs include the elderly, those with disabilities, and the poor. In some states with less strict laws, voters are allowed to vote with other forms of identification, such as paychecks or utility bills. The challenge is that voters may not be aware of such provisions, and the idea of strict ID laws will keep otherwise eligible voters from the ballot (Pastor, et al. 2010). The government should carry out voter education exercises so that voters are aware of information regarding their eligibility. Unfortunately, these exercises do not reach many. Additionally, voter ID laws have been found to affect minority groups negatively disproportionately, and this will translate into future turnouts unless more education is available. In the past, such identification requirements had no impact on voter turnout because many states only implemented strict laws after 2008.

On the other hand, voter ID laws can affect voter turnout positively. People will have more faith in the electoral process as identification requirements prevent electoral fraud. Every voter wants their vote to matter, and the idea that there could be some fraudulent votes makes people lose trust in the voting mechanism. Voter ID laws protect the reliability of the vote. Requirements in voter registration also give voters paperwork that is useful in other areas of their lives. It gives them proof of address, age and also allows them to apply for a job. The process of meeting voter ID requirements proves beneficial in other ways. Voter ID laws also promote accuracy and safeguard an individual’s right to vote. Any person who tries to steal another’s identity and cast a vote can easily be caught with the laws in place. Voter ID laws can improve people’s awareness of the need to vote. States with voter identification laws integrate the process with other forms of identification. For example, when one renews their driver’s license, they are registered to vote as well. The advantage of this method is that a person who might not have been concerned with registration can be motivated to register, thus improving voter turnout.

In conclusion, voter ID laws have sparked fierce debate across the country. Opponents of the laws insist that strict laws deter eligible voters who do not have some specific kind of ID from voting. The laws are also discriminatory as they affect some parts of the population more than others. Supporters laud the laws as a way to promote the integrity and accuracy of the voting process, as well as weed out voter fraud. The courts have overturned some parts of the voter ID laws of various states (Hajnal et al. 2017). Voter ID laws are essential in the electoral process, but they should not be too strict such as to deter voters from exercising their rights. States should accept non-photographic ID as a form of identification without demanding further proof to validate votes.

References

De Alth, S. (2009). ID at the polls: Assessing the impact of recent state voter ID laws on voter turnout.

Hajnal, Z., Lajevardi, N., & Nielson, L. (2017). Voter identification laws and the suppression of minority votes. The Journal of Politics, 79(2), 363-379.

Pastor, R. A., Santos, R., Prevost, A., & Stoilov, V. (2010). Voting and ID requirements: A survey of registered voters in three states. The American Review of Public Administration, 40(4), 461-481.