Category Archives: voter id

Doug Chapin:

I’ll admit to being somewhat surprised that the evidence the judge has requested hasn’t already been presented, given the importance of the underlying question. Hopefully, the data will shed at least a little light on the impact of the proposed ID law.

There’s no guarantee it will, however; as we’ve already seen in other courts, once a match is complete the arguments invariably begin about the significance of the results. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that the state (which is responsible for maintaining the voting rolls) will be able to produce the requested data: a spokesperson for the state said it will “do its best to comply” with the requirement to deliver the data by next Tuesday.

While it is encouraging to see this potential development in the Pennsylvania case, it does seems strange to be cheering the use of evidence in a trial. Still, given how little evidence has been brought forth in ID litigation across the country, even this tiny (if obvious) step suggests that we may be inching closer to a greater use of data in the fierce fights over voter ID and other election policy issues across the nation.

AP reports. [corrected link]

Facing South blogs.

Think Progress blogs.

AP from North Carolina: “New data from the State Board of Elections show far fewer voters lack photo identification than critics of a voter ID bill suggest. The new information roughly halves the potential number of registered voters without photo ID from the 612,000 in a January report to about 318,000….Ray Starling, the general counsel for Speaker Thom Tillis, argues the number is likely even less because about 115,000 of those identified in the latest analysis have not voted in the last five elections.”

AP: “Arkansas legislators passed a law Monday requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, overriding Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe’s veto of the bill, which he called an expensive solution to a non-existent problem.”

AP reports.

Politico: “As a handful of state legislatures around the country consider enacting stricter voter ID laws, a new study finds that young people – and especially young minorities – are disproportionately affected by those laws when they go into effect. According to the study, previewed before its release to POLITICO, significantly more minority youths age 18-29 were asked to show identification than white youth: 72.9 percent of black youth were asked for ID, compared with 60.8 percent of Latino youth and 50.8 percent of white youth.”

See also Doug Chapin on a new Pew report on “Teens and Technology.”

FairVote:

True the Vote, an organization dedicated to eradicating voter fraud through controversial methods, issued a report on February 27 concluding that voter ID laws and other election changes allegedly meant to reduce voter fraud not only did not have an adverse impact on turnout in the 2012 elections, but may have helped to increased turnout. Its findings have been trumpeted by many news outlets who do not believe such laws suppress voter turnout.

But it turns out the report’s authors made a huge methodological mistake. They compared turnout of eligible voters in 2008 to turnout of registered voters in 2012. Correcting this error reverses their findings. All but one of the states with these new laws experienced a decline in voter turnout, and most experienced a decline greater than the national turnout decline from 2008 to 2012.

News from PA.

News from NH.

AP reports from Virginia.

Important TAP piece.

AP: “But getting a bill to [incoming North Carolina governor] McCrory won’t be simple, with some lawmakers insistent on a tough photo ID measure and others comfortable with some non-photo documents. And while 11 states required voters to show some form of photo identification in November, photo ID laws in six other states were in legal limbo for 2012, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.”

Politico reports.

Ryan Reilly for HuffPo: “As Republicans in North Carolina make a renewed push to pass a voter ID law, a new report from the State Board of Elections suggests that nearly one in ten voters lack state-issued photo identification. The report shows that up to 613,000 voters, about 9.25 percent of all registered voters in North Carolina, lack state-issued photo identification. Former Gov. Bev Perdue (D) vetoed a voter ID law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2011. But current Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, spoke out in favor of the law on the campaign trail and has promised to sign it if it reaches his desk.”

News from Virginia: “A year after controversial voter identification legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly, several Republican lawmakers are proposing even greater restrictions on the identification required to cast a ballot, including the requirement of photo identification. Del. Robert B. Bell, R-Albemarle, will introduce what he terms “Photo ID — No Exceptions,” a measure that would require voters to present valid government-issued photo identification in order to vote. Acquiring the identification would also require proof of U.S. citizenship, which the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles requires to obtain identification.”

NCSL’s “The Thicket:”

Post #1

Post #2

Politico: “Testifying with Crist will be Nina Perales of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund as well as Gilda Cobb Hunter, a Democratic member of the South Carolina legislature who has opposed voter ID laws.”

Must see (HuffPo) TV.

The Brad Blog delves into TTV’s claims of voter fraud.

Read Ralston Reports.

AP reports.

Doug Chapin: “I’m not sure that the issues of cost and lack of fraud are enough to kill the proposal, however. Indeed, it looks to me like Miller’s goal in making this proposal (and spending the money) is not to prevent fraud but rather to end the voter ID debate in a way that simultaneously improves the state’s election process.“

LVRJ: ‘The head of the Clark County Election Department on Monday supported Secretary of State Ross Miller’s proposal to use photos to verify voters’ identities at the polls, arguing a new system could make it easier for election workers and cut down on intimidation.”

AP: “A proposal by Democratic Secretary of State Ross Miller to seek a voter photo requirement in the upcoming Legislature appears dead before arrival, with legislative leaders of his own party expressing opposition.”

AP reports.

ProPublica reports.