NYT: Lower Voter Turnout Is Seen in States That Require ID

[Doondoo]

States that imposed identification requirements on voters reduced turnout at the polls in the 2004 presidential election by about 3 percent, and by two to three times as much for minorities, new research suggests.

The study, prepared by scholars at Rutgers and Ohio State Universities for the federal Election Assistance Commission, supports concerns among voting-rights advocates that blacks and Hispanics could be disproportionately affected by ID requirements. But federal officials say more research is needed to draw firmer conclusions about the effects on future elections.

Tim Vercellotti, a professor at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University who helped conduct the study, said that in the states where voters were required to sign their names or present identifying documents like utility bills, blacks were 5.7 percent less likely to vote than in states where voters simply had to say their names.

Dr. Vercellotti said Hispanics appeared to be 10 percent less likely to vote under those requirements, while the combined rate for people of all races was 2.7 percent.

“Do people not even go to vote because they don’t want to hassle with the requirements, or is this occurring at the polling place, when they’re told they can’t vote without further ID?” Dr. Vercellotti asked. “If we can answer this question, then policymakers can develop procedures and voter awareness campaigns to mitigate it.”



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/us/21voting.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[grytpype]

1. As intended.

[Bitwit1234]

2. Why do you think the republics hit on that idea

they want to make it as difficult as they can for democrats to vote. This is another idea they hit on. I think it is the same as a poll tax. Doesn't it cost to get an ID. If the people in the states would sue for the state to issue them free, give them free transportation to the site where the get the ID, and pay for the documentation - such as a birth certificate.....then they would drop the requirment. Did you know it cost up to 25.00 to get a certified copy of a birth certificate. Then add about 15.00 dollars for the ID and right there you have 40.00 dollars and some people on small incomes don't have the money to get them. Much less the transportation to get to a place to have one made. Like I said the republics want to stop people from voting.

They say they want to stop illegals from voting. Just think how stupid that statement is...if you are illegal and are hiding from the authorities why would you show up at a place to vote and have to have a voter registration card, which you would not have documentation for to begin with. So if illegals could not produce a voter registration card how would they have voted. Why make legal Americans have an ID card on top of the voter registration card.

[Thothmes]

5. Voter Registration Cards

Here in Virginia, absolutly no proof of anything is required to get a voter registration card. It is a mail in type operation. Anyone can get one by just by filling out the form and mailing it in.

[Hippo_Tron]

3. Considering the amount of people that don't even vote once

I don't see how there is such a scare over the possibility of people voting twice. I don't think it's a particularly efficient method of trying to rig an election.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Mission Accomplished.

A Republican mission, of course.

[robcon]

6. What other outcome would you expect?

If you make criteria that prevent some people from voting, you have to have fewer, not more voters.