Carding Democracy
In recent years, more and more states—fueled by exaggerated fears of fraudulent voting—have enacted laws requiring that a voter present photographic identification at the polls.
Although details of the laws vary, they all deter otherwise-eligible voters from going to the polls. Those hit hardest are the same groups traditionally marginalized in our election process: African Americans, Spanish speakers, low-income individuals, disabled voters, and youth.
The stated rationale for the measures—preventing voter fraud—is baseless. Photo ID laws prevent only one kind of voter fraud: impersonation at the polling place, in which an individual poses as a particular eligible voter and votes as that person. This sort of voter fraud is extremely rare.
The impact of this “solution” to the phantom problem of voter impersonation is not trifling; millions of dollars must be devoted to implementation, free IDs, and voter education. While photo ID exacts a steep financial cost, disenfranchising our most vulnerable citizens takes an incalculable toll on democracy.
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What Kind of Year Has It Been for Election Laws?
WASHINGTON, DC — With Americans heading to the polls in just four weeks, a new report from voting rights group... Read more
What Kind of Year Has It Been for Election Laws?
With Americans heading to the polls in just four weeks, a new report from voting rights group Project Vote shows that many beneficial election reforms were proposed in 2014, but few voters will find it easier to cast a ballot on November 4. Read more
Study Finds 24,000 Transgender Citizens Could Be Blocked from Voting in November
Battles over voter ID are raising concern across the nation just weeks away from the November 4 election. While Wisconsin implements... Read more
Make Voting EASY
Recently, five forward-looking members of Congress introduced the “Equal Access to Support Youth Voting Act” or “EASY” (H.R. 5144). It... Read more
Here’s Another Crazy Consequence of Eric Cantor’s Loss
Eric Cantor's loss in the Virginia Republican primary on Tuesday night is terrible news for voting rights. Read more
In Election Legislation, Many Proposals but Few Solutions
Today, Project Vote released a new report analyzing the legislative landscape in 2014, and assessing the ground gained and lost so far in the war over voting rights. Read more
New Policy Paper Examines Photo ID Laws
Today, Project Vote is pleased to release the latest policy paper in our Issues in Election Administration series, Photo ID Laws. Read more
Penn. Judge Sides with Voters, Strikes Down Voter ID Law
Pennsylvania’s controversial voter ID law was found unconstitutional today. Read more
Project Vote Applauds Introduction of Bi-Partisan Bill to Restore the Protections of the Voting Rights Act
Today, Congressmen James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and John Conyers (D-MI), and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), introduced a bipartisan update to the Voting Rights Act. Read more
Policy Paper: Photo ID Laws
In this policy paper, Catherine M. Flanagan and Estelle H. Rogers look at photo voter ID laws, the concerns with voter ID policies, and litigation challenging strict photo ID laws. Read more