Full Version: Highest Court in the Land OK's Voter ID Bill
ID law could depress black turnout in Ind.
By BEN ADLER | 5/3/08 1:49 PM EST
Experts say African-American voters — a key constituency of Barack Obama in the primaries thus far — might be disproportionately affected in Tuesday’s Indiana primary by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the state’s voter identification requirement.
Studies show that African-Americans are especially likely not to have the identification necessary to vote on Tuesday. Several other groups, notably elderly voters, disabled voters and young voters, are also more likely than the general population not to have the necessary identification.
“The research is pretty clear that in Indiana this will disproportionately affect certain groups and African-Americans are certainly one of them,” said Julia Vaughn, Indiana policy director for Common Cause. Common Cause and verifiedvoting.org issued a report on May 1 detailing which groups are least likely to have a government-issued photo identification card that meets the Indiana law’s requirements.
As the report noted, a University of Washington study found that 28 percent of African-Americans in the state of Indiana do not have the proper ID to vote. African-Americans make up 9 percent of the voting population in Indiana.
By comparison, slightly less than 20 percent of Indianans over 70 do not have the necessary ID, according to the same study. Older voters tend to favor Hillary Rodham Clinton, while Obama has strong support among youth. According to a recent Rock the Vote poll, 19 percent of people under 30 do not have a valid photo identification with their current address. Since young people move frequently they are less likely to have identification cards with their current address.
And young African-Americans are especially likely to not meet the requirements. A study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that in Milwaukee County, Wis., 74 percent of African-Americans and 66 percent of Hispanics aged 18 to 24 did not have a valid driver’s license — which is the most common form of photo identification.
Experts say that beyond the voters who do not meet the requirements, the law could have a further disproportionate impact on African-Americans because of discouragement and uneven enforcement.
Many voters may simply not try to vote, even if their identification is valid. “I think there is a chilling effect of the voter ID law,” said Vaughn. “People don’t want to get hassled when trying to vote.”
This is exacerbated by the fact that there may be widespread confusion about what constitutes a valid identification under the law, potentially causing some voters who do have a sufficient ID to think that they do not and some voters to be told incorrectly that their ID does not suffice. "If your name has changed you may be afraid you won't be able to vote," explained Vaughn, "even though the law doesn’t say your name needs to conform exactly."
Also there have been reports in the past that identification laws are imposed more often on minorities. “We’ve seen in the past that voter ID provisions are only implemented on people who fit into certain categories,” said Jonah Goldman, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Rights Project. “We’ve gotten hotline calls from, for example, an African-American voter who says he was IDed but not the person in front of him or behind him."
But the Obama campaign says it is not worried about any impact the law will have on the candidate’s performance Tuesday. "We planned based on the law as it was" wrote Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan in an e-mail. "So, even before the ruling we had already launched an aggressive campaign to educate voters." The Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
1. Do you agree with the supreme court's ruling?
2. How do you think it will affect turn-out?
3. Over the course of your lifetime, has the importance and necessity of having a valid state-issued identification card increased?
By BEN ADLER | 5/3/08 1:49 PM EST
Experts say African-American voters — a key constituency of Barack Obama in the primaries thus far — might be disproportionately affected in Tuesday’s Indiana primary by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the state’s voter identification requirement.
Studies show that African-Americans are especially likely not to have the identification necessary to vote on Tuesday. Several other groups, notably elderly voters, disabled voters and young voters, are also more likely than the general population not to have the necessary identification.
“The research is pretty clear that in Indiana this will disproportionately affect certain groups and African-Americans are certainly one of them,” said Julia Vaughn, Indiana policy director for Common Cause. Common Cause and verifiedvoting.org issued a report on May 1 detailing which groups are least likely to have a government-issued photo identification card that meets the Indiana law’s requirements.
As the report noted, a University of Washington study found that 28 percent of African-Americans in the state of Indiana do not have the proper ID to vote. African-Americans make up 9 percent of the voting population in Indiana.
By comparison, slightly less than 20 percent of Indianans over 70 do not have the necessary ID, according to the same study. Older voters tend to favor Hillary Rodham Clinton, while Obama has strong support among youth. According to a recent Rock the Vote poll, 19 percent of people under 30 do not have a valid photo identification with their current address. Since young people move frequently they are less likely to have identification cards with their current address.
And young African-Americans are especially likely to not meet the requirements. A study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that in Milwaukee County, Wis., 74 percent of African-Americans and 66 percent of Hispanics aged 18 to 24 did not have a valid driver’s license — which is the most common form of photo identification.
Experts say that beyond the voters who do not meet the requirements, the law could have a further disproportionate impact on African-Americans because of discouragement and uneven enforcement.
Many voters may simply not try to vote, even if their identification is valid. “I think there is a chilling effect of the voter ID law,” said Vaughn. “People don’t want to get hassled when trying to vote.”
This is exacerbated by the fact that there may be widespread confusion about what constitutes a valid identification under the law, potentially causing some voters who do have a sufficient ID to think that they do not and some voters to be told incorrectly that their ID does not suffice. "If your name has changed you may be afraid you won't be able to vote," explained Vaughn, "even though the law doesn’t say your name needs to conform exactly."
Also there have been reports in the past that identification laws are imposed more often on minorities. “We’ve seen in the past that voter ID provisions are only implemented on people who fit into certain categories,” said Jonah Goldman, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Rights Project. “We’ve gotten hotline calls from, for example, an African-American voter who says he was IDed but not the person in front of him or behind him."
But the Obama campaign says it is not worried about any impact the law will have on the candidate’s performance Tuesday. "We planned based on the law as it was" wrote Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan in an e-mail. "So, even before the ruling we had already launched an aggressive campaign to educate voters." The Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
1. Do you agree with the supreme court's ruling?
2. How do you think it will affect turn-out?
3. Over the course of your lifetime, has the importance and necessity of having a valid state-issued identification card increased?
1. Do you agree with the supreme court's ruling?
Yes I do. I voted early this year for my primary becuase I won't be able to get away form work to vote on Tuesday. And all they asked for was my address and street name. It always amazes me that that is the only line of defense against voter fraud.
2. How do you think it will affect turn-out?
I don't buy the argument that people will be disenfranchised by this ruling. If someone is civic minded enough to even register and vote then I just don't think it makes any sense to think they wouldn't be able or willing to get a state ID. Also I don't think there are many people walking around without state ID's. It seems like you would have o go out of your way to live in this society without a government issued ID. How do you get utilities, a bank account, or even a job without a form of picture ID?
3. Over the course of your lifetime, has the importance and necessity of having a valid state-issued identification card increased?
Yes and no. I've always had one in some form or another so it hasn't been an issue. At the same time over the past few years more and more aspects of life seem to require having an ID.
Yes I do. I voted early this year for my primary becuase I won't be able to get away form work to vote on Tuesday. And all they asked for was my address and street name. It always amazes me that that is the only line of defense against voter fraud.
2. How do you think it will affect turn-out?
I don't buy the argument that people will be disenfranchised by this ruling. If someone is civic minded enough to even register and vote then I just don't think it makes any sense to think they wouldn't be able or willing to get a state ID. Also I don't think there are many people walking around without state ID's. It seems like you would have o go out of your way to live in this society without a government issued ID. How do you get utilities, a bank account, or even a job without a form of picture ID?
3. Over the course of your lifetime, has the importance and necessity of having a valid state-issued identification card increased?
Yes and no. I've always had one in some form or another so it hasn't been an issue. At the same time over the past few years more and more aspects of life seem to require having an ID.
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