The congressional research arm has confirmed what foes of strict photo voter ID laws have been saying for several years: The laws tend to harm voter turnout overall and particularly turnout of minorities and youth. Young people, blacks, Latinos, American Indians and, recently, Asian Americans tend to support Democratic candidates.
The Government Accountability Office reviewed 10 studies, five of which showed no change in turnout in states with strict ID laws, four found decreases and one found an increase. In its own test case, the GAO concluded that strict voter ID laws cut voter turnout in Tennessee and Kansas in the 2012 election. The drop was around 2.2 and 3.2 percentage points in Tennessee and 2 percentage points in Kansas. The decrease was greater among younger voters, racial minorities and voters who were newly registered compared with those registered 20 years or more.
GAO calculated the decrease among African American voters at nearly 4 percent more than among whites in Kansas, and close to 2 percent more among blacks than whites in Tennessee.
Like various other studies, the GAO report found little evidence of voter fraud, which advocates for mandating strict voter IDs have claimed is their key reason for pushing stricter ID requirements. The report was requested initially by the Vermont independent, Sen. Bernard Sanders, and backed by a group of Democratic senators: the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Bill Nelson of Florida, Chuck Schumer of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois. Sanders said:
“We must make it easier, not harder, for poor and working people to vote and to participate in the political process. These state laws aren’t really intended to discourage fraud, they’re intended to discourage voting. The GAO looked at study after study and found no credible evidence of voter fraud having had any impact whatsoever on the outcome of any election in recent history.”
“The right to vote is fundamental and foundational to our democracy,” said Leahy. “Each generation has a role to play in safeguarding this constitutional right. This new analysis from GAO reaffirms what many in Congress already know: Threats to the right to vote still exist. That is why Congress must act to restore the fundamental protections of the Voting Rights Act that have been gutted by the Supreme Court. Our bill offers timely remedies for a timeless right that is the birthright of every American.”
Yes, Congress ought to act to restore what the Supreme Court wrecked in 2013 by eviscerating the Voting Rights Act. But the chances of amending legislation passing this year are nil. In the future, it depends on electing people who want more people, not fewer, to vote.
One way to help improve turnout is to choose Democrats as state secretaries of state who will do what they can to increase rather than suppress the vote. You can help us do that by chipping to support five SOS candidates Daily Kos has endorsed.
Voting by mail is convenient, easy, and defeats the best of the GOP's voter suppression efforts. Sign up here to check eligibility and vote by mail, then get your friends, family, and coworkers to sign up as well.
