Study confirms every bad thing you suspected about voter ID laws

[Redfairen]

The news: According to new research by University of Massachusetts Boston sociologist Keith Bentele and political scientist Erin O’Brien, the states that have enacted tougher voter ID laws in the past few years are also the same states where both minority and lower-income voter turnout had increased in recent years. Focusing further analysis on just 2011, when the vast majority of voter ID regulations were passed, the researchers found that states which passed the legislation were highly likely to have:

- Republicans in control of both houses of the state legislature and the governorship
- Strong probabilities of being swing states in the 2012 elections
- Minority turnout which was higher in the 2008 election and with high proportions of African-American voters
- Larger numbers of allegations of fraud in 2004, though these had a “much smaller substantive impact relative to partisan and racial factors”

The authors note that the study’s results carry ominous implications and demonstrate voter ID laws have “an uncomfortable relationship to the political activism of blacks and the poor.” Their paper further situates voter ID within a realm of policies that “collectively reduce electoral access among the socially marginalized.”

.......

Even a study preferred by the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky foundthat “registered voters without photo IDs tended to be female, African-American, and Democrat.”

As the former Republican Jeremiah Goulka wrote: “The more I thought about it, the more I understood why Democrats claim that these laws are racist. By definition, a law that intentionally imposes more burdens on minorities than on whites is racist, even if that imposition is indirect. Seeing these laws as distant relatives of literacy tests and poll taxes no longer seemed so outrageous to me.”

http://www.salon.com/2013/12/21/study_confirms_every_bad_thing_you_suspected_about_voter_id_laws_partner/

[Thinkingabout]

1. If my observation in the November 2013 Election is correct their intent will have the opposite

Effect. In the precinct where I worked there was a large percent of voters was black females who had ID's, I do not know if they are Democrat but this was a precinct with mostly Texas State Proposals. I am hoping the GOTV works well and even larger numbers of Democrats will turn out and we could defeat the GOP.

[Coyotl]

12. The backlash will last for a lifetime.

Many voters will enter the voter pool with a bias against Republicans that will last their lifetimes.

[Thinkingabout]

13. This is a time to really push the GOTV, get our Democrats in to vote, this will stop this ill

Conceived plan of voter fraud by the GOP. They thought if they said voter fraud long enough and on FOX the Republicans would believe this, it is their platform which many vote against.

[PassingFancy]

22. Yes, backlash will last a lifetime

I'm 60 and my husband is 67 - we decided several years ago that we'd never vote for a republican due to their twisted agendas and attempts to keep people from voting. Our 27 year old son has never voted for a republican and said he never will - he has seen exactly what the republicans stand for and he said that's not what's in the best interest of the people.

[AAO]

29. I know, I'm so excited!

[Gothmog]

2. Voter id laws serve no purpose other than to steal elections

This study merely provides additional evidence of this fact

[Cosmocat]

5. It's pretty friggen obvious

but, just another shit sandwich the Rs serve that the people in this country just smile and gobble up.

[Gothmog]

15. The DOJ has to prove intent in voter id case

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act may require the establishment of intent to discriminate. This study should help with that burden of proof. The pending Texas litigation is not a slam dunk and the DOJ and the plaintiffs will have to work to win this case. That is one reason why the DOJ wanted to put the trial off until after the 2014 elections. The DOJ was planning on using data from the 2014 midterm elections to show the impact of these laws.

[Cosmocat]

30. Thanks for the details

hard to cut through the legalities of this crape.

Living in Pa and dealing with it here.

My issue is the friggen soft headed people of this country putting up with this shit.

I work a poll in a very heavy R precinct with at best a handful of minorities.

It pisses me off because we have already lost some voters and when it is officially implemented will lose more.

And many of them are REPUBLICANS.

I have bent the ear of my R state house rep on this, and he doesn't care one bit.

The obsession for them is Philly, and if some of the constituents who are on his team get pinched, so be it.

He will be fine.

It is brazen politics. Here and everywhere else, and you would THINK that in the United States people would be hoping mad over attempts to hinder the right to vote.

But, people are fricken HAPPY to let them do it.

[Gothmog]

35. Yet another example of why there is no pattern of voter fraud

Yet another report has come out to show that voter fraud is not an issue http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20131225/NEWS010801/312240026/Voter-fraud-investigation-uncovers-few-crimes

The Hamilton County Board of Elections spent the year investigating voter fraud allegations.

In the end, six people were charged, and another 42 referred to the secretary of state, who oversees voting for Ohio.

An Enquirer review of the local cases showed that, except for one criminally convicted poll worker, it amounted to a few people who stepped over the line in their zealousness to vote.

Ultimately, Hamilton County’s 48 cases represented 0.011 percentof the 421,997 votes cast in Hamilton County’s 2012 general election.

Voter fraud is a myth used to justify the stealing of votes from groups who tend to vote for Democrats

[blkmusclmachine]

3. ,

,

[davidpdx]

4. No surprise

The 2010 election screwed this up. Many of the laws were passed in states that should be bright blue. Winning governor's races and state legislatures this time around is important. It will take years to reverse the damage done.

[Cosmocat]

6. YEP

And, make no mistake, 6 years from now, somehow the Rs will show up and the Ds will not get the importance of setting congressional districts.

[Stuart G]

7. k and r...thanks for posting. ..nt

[WcoastO]

8. Weyrich said it out loud.....

[mitty14u2]

10. President Obama needs to mandate a law that no changes to any states voter suppression laws until af

President Obama needs to mandate a law that no changes to any states voter suppression laws until after 2016 elections, Fu#ck the GOP, the only way they can win is by Fixing Elections. I call what they are dong as Treason, if we did it, they would say the same thing and win! Obamas not running for anything, it would be in court until 2018, impeach Obama then!

[Coyotl]

14. That would be unconstitutional, of course.

States control elections.

[seattledo]

26. Why are you defending not allowing people to vote?

Of course all of these ID laws have nothing on WA that simply just throws away votes. I only know of one election here when my vote wasn't thrown away.

[Coyotl]

28. I'm not. I'm just pointing out the error.

Last edited Thu Dec 26, 2013, 10:04 PM - Edit history (1)

[Gothmog]

34. You are correct from a legal standpoint

The federal government has a limited role in this area and that role is limited to federal elections. It would take Congress to change the law here and that is not going to happen.

I have been following the efforts of Arizona and Kansas to establish a two tier voting system where the normal rules apply for the election of federal officials but the state will be able to require "proof of citizenship" for state elections. These states are exploring the creation of this two tier system but given the racism involved in these two states, I believe that this system will be used in the future.

[Coyotl]

11. Political scientists demonstrate the very obvious. Republicans are racists.

At least this may assist in law suits to overturn these laws on civil rights grounds.

[Gothmog]

33. The GOP is the party of Whites only

Salon has a good essay on why the GOP is the party of whites. http://www.salon.com/2013/12/22/how_the_gop_became_the_white_mans_party/ This goes back the 1964 race

As the conservative journalist Robert Novak reported after attending a meeting of the Republican National Committee in Denver during the summer of 1963: “A good many, perhaps a majority of the party’s leadership, envision substantial political gold to be mined in the racial crisis by becoming in fact, though not in name, the White Man’s Party. ‘Remember,’ one astute party worker said quietly . . . ‘this isn’t South Africa. The white man outnumbers the Negro 9 to 1 in this country.’ ” The rise of a racially-identified GOP is not a tale of latent bigotry in that party. It is instead a story centered on the strategic decision to use racism to become “the White Man’s Party.”

The use of racial politics is well documented in this article

[Jamaal510]

16. Only Republicans

can get away with talking about how much they love freedom, and take away a basic Constitutional right simultaneously.

[certainot]

17. RW radio played/plays THE major part selling the environment in which ALEC etc sell voter ID laws

anti immigration, ACORN, excuses for and distortions of who is really stealing elections, the voter fraud fraud are all major RW radio successes that go back many years.

but there is still NO major response to RW radio from the dem party or major progressive orgs.

we even allow our state funded colleges to endorse RW radio with their sports team logos. more than 28% of limbaugh stations and probably close to 40% of all RW stations piggyback the community cred of our colleges and schools while they piss on teachers and public ed and deny global warming.

but RW radio can't be read so it is invisible to most thinking people and is never factored into polls and studies.

ignoring RW radio continues to be the biggest political mistake in US political history.

[BobUp]

18. Not Surprising

Well, I'm not a bit surprised by the study at all. Governor Walker and his ill reputes tried to set up voter regs. probably five minutes before his recall election, but a judge blocked the initiative, and I believe it's somewhere in limbo presently, but might rear it's ugly little head just short of the 2016 election, I fear.

To put this into perspective, our DMV locally used to be located within the city limits. The DMV moved about 6 or 7 miles away into the county, and the R's must be loving that, it's more difficult for poor and elderly who do not own vehicles to get to the location to obtain voter ID's. It's basically the same statewide because many DMV's have been shuttered due to budget problems-they claim, and the nearest DMV's are located out in the boonies. It seems their plan to alienate the democrat's base is to make it next to impossible for people to obtain voter ID cards.

And with the Koch Bros. infiltrating my state with dollars, they pretty much bought the 2010 recall election after pumping millions of $$$$$ into negative ads and propping up republican candidates disguised as democrats. Dirty low down tricks, many voters were confused.

[mitty14u2]

19. Wisconsin New Suppression Laws 9-5 No Weekends

restricts early voting to ONE WEEK and ONLY during the hours of 7:30 AM - 5 PM (that'll show those folks who try to vote before or after work).

That wasn't enough for Republicans, though. Their brand new shiny voter suppression bill removes ALL weekend voting (their limitation to 1 weekend from 3 in 2011 wasn't restrictive enough to prevent electoral wins by Tammy Baldwin and Barack Obama in 2012) and restricts early voting to ONE WEEK and ONLY during the hours of 7:30 AM - 5 PM (that'll show those folks who try to vote before or after work).


Not only that, but anyone without that ID needs to sign an affidavit that they're indigent and their "vote" is not guaranteed to be counted. A person who doesn't have the time to go during work hours to get that ID, has no transportation to a DMV for that ID, or who can't obtain the documents necessary for the ID will have to declare their indigent and possibly get their vote tossed if they aren't.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/16/1256111/-Rachel-Maddow-Nails-How-Utterly-Nutty-Wis-GOP-Has-Become

Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is working on finalizing a plan to close as many as 10 offices where people can obtain driver’s licenses in order to expand hours elsewhere and come into compliance with new requirements that voters show photo IDs at the polls.

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/07/25/wisconsin-walker-shuts-down-dmv-offices-in-democratic-areas-after-passing-voter-id-law/

Here’s a slick little two-step from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, in 2010 Scott Walker decided to Screw Voters Early!

So one of his ideas was to pass a voter ID law to help suppress the vote in future years. Responding to the virtually non-existent scourge of voter fraud, the bill disenfranchises low-income voters and the elderly who don’t have a picture ID like a driver’s license.

Of course, Republicans could say, these voters need to merely go to any DMV and obtain a picture ID there. Simple, elegant and secure, right? Except Walker is closing down a bunch of DMV’s:

[BobUp]

20. Slick, NOT!

Well check this out. In 2008, and 2010 republicans masqueraded as democrats in Wisconsin.

http://www.orchidforchange.com/parties/waukeshadems.com/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/205183

Now, check this out. Mary Burke (D) will be running against Scott Walker. This is not a link to Mary Burke's website;
http://www.maryburke.com/

The R's are doing it again. Voters might be confused, again.

This is the REAL Mary Burke website;
http://burkeforwisconsin.com/

Anyone who might do a Google search for Mary Burke will find that the maryburke.com will be at the top of the search results, with misinformation and lies.

[hootinholler]

21. That's despicable

I like the paid for by the republican party at the bottom.

Welcome to DU.

[BobUp]

24. Thank You For Welcoming Me

hootinholler,

I was kinda shocked that someone, other than the person named in a dot com could use someone else's name in a dot com address. I mean if I wanted to and if I had the green stamps, I could do a bobbyjindal.com or a johnboner.com if those dot coms aren't already taken, and just post a pack of bullshit like they do. Interesting to say the least.

[Dustlawyer]

23. Here in Texas if your name on your license doesn't match the one on the voters registration

you cannot vote except provisionally. My ex-wife changed back to her maiden name on both and has voted a couple of times since. We just received our new voters registration cards and she noticed that they put her married name back on the registration card so now she cannot vote unless she gets it corrected. How did they change the name back and is it intentional? If she had not noticed the change she would have been disenfranchised. She is black and lives in a predominately black precinct that is heavily Democratic. No doubt that she is not the only one this is happening to. These people are despicable!

[bossy22]

25. As much as I don't see the necessity in these laws

I really don't understand the complaints about them. Having a "legitimate" form of ID is part of being an adult. Aren't we in a way saying that "minorities" aren't mature enough to handle "adult responsibilities"? Why are we okay with places carding for alcohol? Isn't that discriminatory to those who don't have IDs? It's not that hard for someone to get a state issued ID.



Countries in Western Europe require photo ID before casting a vote.

[mitty14u2]

27. Its Not about Voter ID and never has been, Its About Stopping people from Voting!

Kasich OHIO “New Improved Voter Suppression”

Republicans are now looking to turn the clock back a decade.

Tuesday, the state legislature will hold hearings on four new GOP-backed measures that, taken as a whole, will make voting much harder in the Buckeye State, especially for racial minorities, students, and the poor:

One bill would reduce the number of voting machines that counties must have on hand, almost inevitably leading to longer wait times at the polls.

A second would attack the state’s successful absentee ballot program. Last year, Secretary of State Jon Husted mailed absentee ballots to every registered voter, and nearly 1.3 million Ohioans cast one.

But the new bill would dramatically limit the period when absentee ballots can be sent, and bar counties from sending them, instead allowing only the secretary of state, with approval from lawmakers, to do so.
A third measure would cut early voting by six days and end same-day registration, when voters can register and vote on the same day. Voting rights advocates say they expect additional drastic cuts to the early voting period.
And a fourth would reduce from 10 to three the number of days given to voters casting a provisional ballot to return with the information needed to make their vote count.

The clear combined effect would be not just to reduce opportunities for voting. It would also be to significantly increase the number of voters showing up on Election Day, while reducing the number of machines made available to them. The obvious likely result: longer lines at the polls, deterring some voters from casting a ballot.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ohio-gop-looks-turn-clock-back-voting

States Eye Voting Obstacles in Wake of High-Court Ruling

Less than a week after the Supreme Court watered down the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a handful of states seemed poised to roll back the protections afforded to minorities by the 48-year-old law

Since the high court’s ruling on June 25, four of the other 15 states covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act — Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia — are in position to move forward on tightening voting laws.

In Alabama and Mississippi, voters will have to present a photo-identification card at the 2014 primary polls under laws that are now being implemented, but were previously being held until cleared by Washington officials. Both states plan to issue photo IDs to voters who don’t have them.


http://swampland.time.com/2013/07/05/states-eye-voting-obstacles-in-wake-of-high-court-ruling/

[Gothmog]

32. Do you have a cite for this?

The laws in the US were designed to require forms of identification that are not held by groups who tend to vote for Democrats. The purpose of these laws is solely to stop the vote

[Gothmog]

31. Functional equivalence to Jim Crow laws

One of the latest briefs filed in the Wisconsin voter id case makes some good points including that these laws are the functional equivalent of Jim Crow laws. http://www.advancementproject.org/news/entry/in-post-trial-brief-civil-rights-group-argues-wisconsin-voter-id-law-an-eng

The evidence at trial and defendants’ own arguments demonstrate the voter ID law, in its operation and results, is functionally indistinguishable from the laws employed during the Jim Crow era to suppress the African-American vote, and which the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its 1982 amendments were enacted to prohibit. Like those earlier disfranchisement laws, Wisconsin’s voter ID law imposes “vague, arbitrary, hyper-technical [and] unnecessarily difficult” requirements, and a variety of bureaucratic “procedural hurdles” in a disproportionate manner on voters of color, turning the voting process for them into a “test of skill.”

More than 20 witnesses were presented at trial, who discussed their struggle to obtain an ID or the extreme measures they were forced to take in order to get it. Powerful testimony came from Ms. Lorene Hutchins, a 93-year-old former poll worker. Hutchins, who was born at her family’s home in Mississippi, did not have the birth certificate required to get an ID for voting. Only after the persistent and steadfast efforts of her daughter – who assisted Ms. Hutchins throughout the process, spending more than $2,000 in costs and legal fees – was she able to finally get a birth certificate and reclaim her right to vote. This is but one example. The combined impact of the law has had the predictable result of suppressing the African-American and Latino vote.

“As the leading democracy in the world, it is our responsibility to ensure that states do not pass laws that hinder citizens’ inalienable right to vote,” said Advancement Project Co-Director Penda D. Hair on the civil rights group’s decision to litigate against Wisconsin. “States across the nation have an obligation to ensure that citizens have equal access to the ballot.”
- See more at: http://www.advancementproject.org/news/entry/in-post-trial-brief-civil-rights-group-argues-wisconsin-voter-id-law-an-eng#sthash.WrTcGmCC.dpuf

[mitty14u2]

36. ALEC: Alive and Well and Pushing Voter Suppression In Minnesota

ALEC: Alive and Well and Pushing Voter Suppression In Minnesota


With so much national attention (rightly so) focused on voter ID laws in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as voter purges, reduced voting hours (Ohio) and all the new Jim Crow laws permeating our country in the 21st century, Minnesota's voter suppression law has flown under the radar both in the state and at the national level. Remember, Minnesota -- Al Franken and Mark Dayton? Two recent major elections that withstood the scrutiny of a hand recount without either side EVER alleging voter fraud.

A brief summary of where we are on this voter suppression amendment: Minnesota, which has led the nation in voter turnout for years, will be faced with implementing an entirely new voting system if this "voter ID" amendment passes. Similar to other states, Minnesota's house and senate flipped Republican in 2010. However, Mark Dayton, a Democrat, was elected governor. In addition to the Republican legislature shutting down the state government in 2011, they also by-passed the governor's veto of a photo ID law and went the route of putting it on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.

The author of this amendment? None other than former Minnesota Republican Secretary of State and state American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) chairperson Mary Kiffmeyer. And oh, how skilled she is at manipulation and in understanding the ALEC and Karl Rove rules: Dumb It Down. Confuse The Voter. Play To People's Fear. For anyone who has paid attention to the voter ID laws that spread like wildfire across the country after 2010, we don't have to connect the dots between ALEC-sponsored "cut and paste" legislation.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/ALEC--Alive-and-Well-and-by-Joanne-Boyer-121102-290.html

[mitty14u2]

37. Fighting Voter Suppression

Voting rights are under attack in this country as state legislatures nationwide pass voter suppression laws under the pretext of preventing voter fraud and safeguarding election integrity. These voter suppression laws take many forms, and collectively lead to significant burdens for eligible voters trying to exercise their most fundamental constitutional right.

During the 2011 legislative sessions, states across the country passed measures to make it harder for Americans – particularly African-Americans, the elderly, students and people with disabilities – to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot. Over thirty states considered laws that would require voters to present government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Studies suggest that up to 11 percent of American citizens lack such ID, and would be required to navigate the administrative burdens to obtain it or forego the right to vote entirely.

Three additional states passed laws to require documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, though as many as 7 percent of American citizens do not have such proof. Seven states shortened early voting time frames, even though over 30 percent of all votes cast in the 2008 general election were cast before Election Day. Two state legislatures voted to repeal Election Day registration laws, though Election Day registration increases voter turnout by 10-12 percent. Finally, two states passed legislation making it much more difficult for third-party organizations to register voters – so difficult, in fact, that some voter registration organizations are leaving the states altogether.

https://www.aclu.org/fighting-voter-suppression