The Controversy Over Voter Identification Laws

2057 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The current importance of voter identification laws

In 2002, with the intention of updating election technology, hampering voter fraud, and increasing faith in the electoral system, President George W. Bush signed into law the Help America Vote Act (Gerken 14). Since the implementation of this act, controversial voter identification laws have begun springing up all over the country. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “thirty-one states require all voters to show ID before voting at the polls. In fifteen of these, the ID must include a photo of the voter; in the remaining sixteen, non-photo forms of ID are acceptable” (Voter Identification Requirements). In 2005 Indiana lawmakers passed one of the strictest voter identification laws in the country requiring voters to present an unexpired photo identification card issued by the state or federal government before gaining access to vote (Barreto, Nuño, and Sanchez 111). The constitutionality of this law was challenged, and it eventually ended up in the United States Supreme Court. In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, the Supreme Court upheld the requirement by a 6-3 decision thus paving the way for other states to enact such laws (Vock and Gramlich). What is so controversial about these laws that a Supreme Court decision was required? As with most contentious issues in politics, the debate over these laws are strictly divided down partisan lines with Democrats strongly opposed and Republicans heavily in favor of their implementation. Opponents believe these laws are unfair and negatively impact certain segments of voters who may not possess or have the means to obtain the required identification such as the poor, elderly, disabled, and minorities. As this category of voters is more likely to vot...

... middle of paper ...

....

Mycoff, Jason D., Michael W. Wagner, and David C. Wilson. “The Empirical Effects of Voter-ID Laws: Present or Absent?” PS: Political Science & Politics 42.01 (2009): 121-26. JSTOR. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

Sobel, Richard, and Robert Ellis Smith. "Voter-ID Laws Discourage Participation, Particularly among Minorities, and Trigger a Constitutional Remedy in Lost Representation." PS: Political Science & Politics 42.01 (2009): 107-110. JSTOR. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Vock, Daniel C., and John Gramlich. “With Justices’ OK, Voter ID Moves Ahead.” stateline.org. Stateline, 29 Apr. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

“Voter Identification Requirements.” ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures, 08 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

Weiser, Wendy R., and Lawrence Norden. “Voting Law Changes in 2012.” brennancenter.org. Brennan Center For Justice, 03 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • The Case for Mandatory Voting in Canada

    2588 Words  | 6 Pages

    Since the turn of the twenty first century, in Canada voter turnout has made a significant and consecutive decline. In the last five federal elections on average only sixty-one per cent of eligible voters voted. If each eligible citizen voted in an election the government would be on par with the primary interests of the people. The easiest way to achieve this objective is by implementing a compulsory voting system. Mandatory voting systems are appealing because all citizens are affected by decisions made by the government, so it makes sense to have all those affected apart of the election process. As a result, the voting results would be more representative of the country and that would lead to an increase of stability and legitimacy. It would also be beneficial to Canadians because would cause political parties to address and focus on the needs of every socio-economic level. However, one of biggest problems that accompanies mandatory voting laws is that the choice to exercise the right to vote is taken away. Another primary concern about compulsory voting is that a large number of uninterested and uninformed voters are brought to the polls. Conversely, uninformed voters will become familiar with and learn the polling procedures and electoral system over time and uninterested voters are not forced to mark a name on the ballot. Compulsory voting laws would only make registration and attendance at the polls mandatory, not voting itself. Therefore the freedom to exercise the right to vote or not is still intact. A greater emphasis on alternate voting practices may be established such as electronic or online voting. Positive changes would not only be evident in the policies of political parties but also in the voting procedure. Th...

    Read More

  • Voting Rights Act Pros And Cons

    2349 Words  | 5 Pages

    Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress to formulate an oversight measure to fix voter disenfranchisement. By itself, Supreme Court Ruling Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder does minimal damage to the voting process of the United States. The court ruled discriminatory practices of district actions half a century old unconstitutional, but left a responsibility for Congress to modernize the Voting Rights Act, to ensure that no district nor individual is discriminated against. Given the history of the United States’s voter suppression and the original need for the Voting Rights Act, a new, modern voter equality policy is of dire importance.

    Read More

  • Voter Turnout Decline in the United States

    2612 Words  | 6 Pages

    Samples, John. "Three Myths about Voter Turnout." Political Analysis. N.p., 14 Sept. 2004. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Voter ID Law

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    The new law has seen multiple, willing and able, voters turned away at the polling station for unacceptable or expired photo IDs. It also turns away people low on income, mainly because of the cost of photo IDs or the cost to replace vital documents, like birth certificates. With the implication of the new voter ID law, it is certain that it will have an implication on voter turnouts at the polls, mainly seen by minority and elderly voters. Those, like justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, prove that the new voter ID law has very lasting and unfair effects on voters who are deemed “unfavorable.” Even a U.S. district judge in Corpus Christi ruled that the law “constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax” and “has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose.” African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to lack appropriate photo IDs, disenfranchising approximately 600,000 voters. Even if the state offers a free photo ID, these types voters, some of who are in the low-income tax bracket, may not be able to get their hands on necessary documents, such as a birth certificate which cost around $23, to obtain one. The new ID laws can prove to be a large hurdle for multiple types of people, causing a lot of stress to people who just want to perform their civic

    Read More

  • Voting Participation in the United States

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Among the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways for Americans to get involved. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will be making and enforcing the laws that all Americans must abide by. With this in mind one might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show the voter turnout is actually astonishingly low. With this unsettling trend it is important to know what statistics say about voter turnout as was as the four major factors that influence participation: Socioeconomic status, education, political environment, and state electoral laws, in order to help boost turnout in future elections.

    Read More

  • Essay On Mandatory Voting

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    To enforce voting to be mandatory , this will prompt more Americans to pay attention to the choices for their representatives. Mandating would stimulate the demand side, motivating voters to understand and acknowledge who they are voting for. Therefore , voting is to be a responsibility than a option.

    Read More

  • Low Turnout In Texas Essay

    1092 Words  | 3 Pages

    The wave of new voting restrictions passed around the country, mostly by Republicans, after their victories in the 2010 elections. Supporters of the law argue that such restrictions are necessary to prevent fraud. On the other hand, voting law opponents contend these laws disproportionately affect elderly, minority and low-income groups that tend to vote Democratic. Obtaining photo ID can be costly and burdensome because photo ID laws create a new "financial barrier to the ballot box”. It would have prevented hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters from the polls just because they lack a state-issued photo ID.

    Read More

  • Should The Voter Identification Law be in Place?

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    The “Election and voting: Voter Identification” is a debate between three sides with different opinions about the voter identification law. Each side is represented by Chandler Davidson, Hans von Spakovsky, and Edward Foley. This debate is about whether the voter identification laws should be in place or not. Davidson is against the voting id laws stating its historical context and how it will affect the minorities, older and student during the election time. Spakovsky supports the law saying “the law would prevent voter fraud” and make elections strong and fair. Third, position held by Foley is that voter fraud is a problem and voter id law would help prevent it, but we need to make sure that everyone will have an easy access to the designated places.

    Read More

  • Voter ID Laws in the United States

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Voter ID laws in the United States have begun to create controversy since the beginning of its adaptations in the early 2000’s. Voter ID laws in the United States is a law that requires U.S. citizens to have a special form of identification in order to vote in an election. The idea with Voter ID laws is that the state must make sure that the laws do not pose any sort of burden on the voters. These laws have been proposed in order to stop voting fraud. However, the institution of Voter ID laws has caused trouble in states, including Texas, regarding the various amount of identification requirements needed.

    Read More

  • Bush v. Gore

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the main arguments in the Bush V. Gore case was that the Florida vote recount was unconstitutional according to the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause (Oyez.org). The Equal Protection Clause states that “no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal p...

    Read More

  • Debating the Impact of the Electoral College

    1416 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the presidential primaries, closed primary voters tend to be seen more extreme than the voters in the open primary. Voters in a closed primary can only vote for the party they have registered themselves as through the voter’s registration form they are required to fill out before they are even eligible to vote. Norrander states that more independents vote in the open primaries rather than the closed primaries, unlike the republicans and democrats, because of the rules and party identification. In the states that conduct the primaries using party identification laws were seen to have more party members and few independents. In a survey, Norrander found that the higher level of voters who claimed to be independents were in the states that had either semi-closed primaries or open primaries. The fewest amount of independent voters was found in the semi-open and closed primary

    Read More

  • Voting Right Restrictions: A Silent Societal Problem

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 2016 election will be hit with numerous voting restrictive laws making it harder to vote for the general populous. There are 31 states that enforce government identification cards prior to voting. Around 11% percent of people able to vote don 't have a government identification card according to Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge. That 's around 35 million people unable to vote due to the enforcement of government identification cards. These people include and are not exclusive to the elderly not driving any more, people without permanent addresses, and transgender who have non matching gender to their identification cards. Of those 31 states that enforce government identification cards prior to voting, 8 states require strict photo identification. It is estimated that at least 16 million people able to vote do not have eligible government photo identification cards, according to the brennancenter. Texas alone has 600,000 people that do not fit this category. The general populous has taken a hit due to votin...

    Read More

  • Importance of Voter ID Laws in the United States

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why We Need Voter ID Laws There have been several occasions throughout America’s history where voter fraud has changed the outcome of an election. For example, “a 2010 Kansas election ended with a one vote margin where 50 of the winning votes were cast illegally by citizens of Somalia (Hans Von Spankovsky).” Another example is when “a 1996 congressional race in California was almost overturned by hundreds of votes cast illegally by noncitizens (Hans Von Spankovsky).” Voter ID laws are a sensible precaution to voting.

    Read More

  • Medicare and Medicaid

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ...//permanent.access.gpo.gov /lps70995/state.gov/etexts/oecon/index.htm File, T. & Crissey, S. (2010 ). Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 – Population Characteristics. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p20-562. “Medicare and the New Health Care Law — What it Means for You.” (2010).

    Read More

  • Voter Suppression And The Government

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voter suppression is no surprise to the American Government. It goes unseen by most. of the public, or they realize the suppression of voters after the damage has already been done. done.

    Read More

More about The Controversy Over Voter Identification Laws

Open Document