Restrictions on voting is not a foreign concept to American politics. In the past, requirements such as literacy tests and poll taxes were used to bar African Americans from the voting booths (ACLU). Thanks to the implementation of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and the 24th Amendment, many of these restrictions on voting were revoked in hopes to prevent discrimination. Today, laws are being made across the country requiring that citizens must present a photo ID in order to vote. With 30 states requiring an ID to vote, many question the true reasons behind why these laws are being passed (Propublica).
The reasoning for requiring a photo ID is stated to be to prevent voter fraud. However, 10 voter impersonations out of 2,068 election fraud cases since 2000 are nothing compared to the 15 million voters. That would mean that by requiring people to present a photo ID 1 out of 15 million voters would be prevented from committing voter fraud (Propublica). The data shows that voter fraud is not only a nonexistent problem in today’s voting system, but it is almost unheard of. Statistics such as these make many Americans question the motives of the supporters of Voter ID laws.
So the major question is what are the motives behind supporting the implementation of Voter ID laws? Currently, 11% of voting eligible US citizens do not own photo IDs (ProPublica). However, a study done by Reuters and research firm Ipsos of data found that after interviewing 20,000 voters that those who did not have an ID were less likely to vote regardless of state laws (ProPublica). The majority of groups who are affected by these laws are minorities, the unemployed, and the youth. Coincidentally, a large portion of these voters would normally vote democratic. Considering that most supporters of Voter ID laws are republican, it leads many to wonder if the laws themselves are not to prevent fraud, but instead prevent these groups from voting altogether.
Getting a photo ID is also not as easy to obtain as one would think. Such identification can cost time and money. Even when states offer a free ID, hidden fees such as obtaining a birth certificate can cost up to $25 (Propublica). For several American without photo IDs, this fee can be costly, as that money could be spent to pay for food or housing. For some, the challenge of obtaining a photo ID may not just be the price, but instead the distance. Photo ID locations are not always easily accessible for citizens who live in rural areas, or particularly dangerous ones. With these limiting factors, Voter ID laws would limit the poor’s ability to voice their opinions in the polls.
Some argue that the political divides between minorities and Whites are not coincidental. As Rocha et. al. depicts “Residing in the same political jurisdiction as blacks or Latinos appears to make whites less likely to support policies explicitly or implicitly designed to aid those groups” (Rocha, 667). When political objectives are marked by racial lines, the agendas of the largely White party’s agenda can resemble that of being the oppressor when its main focus is to corral the benefits towards their voters; revealing an institutionalized discrimination towards minorities. In a study conducted at the University of Southern California, 1,871 state legislators were sent an email that inquired about the Voter ID laws (Washington Post). Click here to see what they did. The study illuminates how political parties view other racial and ethnic groups by showing a distinct difference in the state legislator's responsiveness to voters, revealing a racial wall in the differences between the two parties.
Even as racist remarks in politics have become taboo in recent years, there is still an underlying layer of institutionalized racism that drives political agendas. The Voter ID laws reveal an advocacy to make voting less accessible to those who cannot afford to get an ID. And while this measure is to supposedly combat voter fraud, it is important for citizens to question its effects.
I have abided by the Wheaton Honor Code in this piece.
"Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws." Top Stories RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.
Rocha, Rene R.1, rene-rocha@uiowa.edu, and Matsubayashi2 Tetsuya. "The Politics Of Race And Voter ID Laws In The States: The Return Of Jim Crow?." Political Research Quarterly 67.3 (2014): 666-679. Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
"Study Finds Strong Evidence for Discriminatory Intent behind Voter ID Laws." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Timeline: A History of the Voting Rights Act." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
The notion of needing an ID to vote is something completely new to me since I am now just legally allowed to vote, but I have no memories of my mom's ID being checked when I went to vote with her when I was little. Until this class, I never thought about the complexities about owning an ID because I thought it was something everyone had, but in actuality, it is a privilege.
ReplyDeleteI also never looked at it as politically motivated and it is insane to think about how politicians use whether or not one has an ID for leverage/political gain. I wonder what would happen if all Voter Id laws were eradicated. Is it this law that is preventing poor people from voting or are there other factors contributing to the lack of minority participation? As you said above, "it is important for citizens to question its effects" and also just be aware of the fact that these things do exist. If we all have the right to vote, shouldn't we be guaranteed access to vote as well?
There seems to be a lot of informative information here. Like Hannah, I just recently became aware of voter id laws since my first election was only two years ago.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it does not surprise me with how these laws are playing out. After everything we've learned in class from our readings, it seems all to predictable that a law that looks harmless on paper has rather malicious consequences.
With the information you provided about the nearly non-existent issue of voter fraud, it seems to make the ID laws completely unnecessary, unless there were actually different motives behind them. I think you do a good job of bringing attention to this issue and sparking questions about what advantages whites/republics are using over poc/poorer people.
Right now I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding Texan voter id laws and the supreme court decisions regarding it. I found this from a yahoo news article: "The law was struck down by a federal judge last week, but a federal appeals court had put that ruling on hold. The judge found that roughly 600,000 voters, many of them black or Latino, could be turned away at the polls because they lack acceptable identification. Early voting in Texas begins Monday." and find it so horrible how these laws can be upheld with plenty of evidence pointing to racism and little to none pointing to actual voter fraud.