The Countdown to Racial Inequality: Midterm Elections with Voter ID Laws

With today being November 4th, Voter ID laws are set in stone for midterm elections. And while nothing can be done at this point to change the number of IDs allowed at the polling areas, the opposition of Voter ID laws is still strong in making its arguments. Even though 6 states have made voting easier for this upcoming election, there are 18 states counteracting this by “cracking down on voter fraud.” In this monumental midterm election, political analysts will be able to gain a far better understanding of the exact effects of Voter ID laws.

However, as new studies unveil themselves to the public, one can note that opinions on Voter ID laws have a direct correlation with racial ideology. Thanks to a study conducted by the University of Delaware,  click here to see what they did, one can see how something as simple as changing the race of the person in the picture can greatly affect how people form an opinion on Voter Id laws. What is most interesting about this study is that it shows how a wide range of people who were in favor of Voter ID laws, with over 1000 participants varying in age, gender and ethnicity. In particular, what this study shows is how racial biases are part of what drives individual political opinions; whether it be conscious or subconscious. This study illuminates how even if individuals who support Voter ID laws are suggesting that their intentions are to lessen voter fraud or to potentially sway the vote in favor of conservative ideology, their intentions could be linked to an internalized racial bias.

While voter fraud has shown to be an illegitimate fear of Conservative individuals, their propaganda has cast a shadow that will affect the results of today’s election. By limiting the access to the polls, voting becomes a privilege for those who can afford to pay for the photo ID or even donate the time. What could be considered good intentions could put a dent in the opportunities of minorities across the US.

Lavender, Paige. "People's Opinions On Voter ID Laws Can Be Racialized Thanks To One Image, Study Shows." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Oct. 2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"Ballot Watch." Ballot Watch. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.