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[entremet]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/how-voter-id-laws-discriminate-study/517218/

Strict photo identification laws have a differentially negative impact on the turnout of Hispanics, Blacks, and mixed-race Americans.

According to the new study, the new approach addresses these problems by assessing nationwide votes in the 2008 and 2012 primary and general elections using responses from the Cooperative Congressional Election Studies, a large national survey that validates self-attestation of voting status with voting records. The researchers used this dataset to compare turnout in elections where strict voter ID had been implemented versus those where it hadn't, and measured the gap in turnout between races.

Using this refined methodology, researchers found that strict ID laws doubled the turnout gap between whites and Latinos in the general elections, and almost doubled the white-black turnout gap in primary elections. And given that their turnout models incorporate the known surge of turnout among minorities spurred by Barack Obama's candidacy, they might actually be underestimating the overall suppression effects of voter ID law. ”I couldn't find a compelling way to control for the potential Obama effect and I do think his presence might have reduced the effect of voter ID laws in 2008 and 2012," Hajnal said in an email. ”Although in order for that to happen, Obama's effects on minority turnout would have to be especially pronounced in strict ID law states."

In before a non-American says, but we have voter ID laws too. What's the problem?

 

[Septimus Prime]

By design.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

By design.

Well, North Carolina did put it in writing.

 

[Chie Satonaka]

By design.

Yep.

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

 

[Draysoth]

Missing something here - can you simplify? I'm guessing the data they are using isn't properly representing everyone who votes, or whats needed to vote legally heavily favors one (or more) races? (I'm not American FYI)

 

[Glix]

Missing something here - can you simplify? I'm guessing the data they are using isn't properly representing everyone who votes, or whats needed to vote legally heavily favors one (or more) races? (I'm not American FYI)

It may be confusing to you because they just are going into data and not explaining WHY the strict photo ID reduces the numbers.

I'll let someone with better knowledge then me explain it, I don't wanna fuck it up.

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

Missing something here - can you simplify? I'm guessing the data they are using isn't properly representing everyone who votes, or whats needed to vote legally heavily favors one (or more) races? (I'm not American FYI)

The standard valid photo ID would be a driver's license, which is acquired at a DMV or a state's equivalent thereof. Republican-led states tend to distribute DMV locations and hours in ways that make it more difficult for lower-income citizens, who tend to be black or Hispanic, to get those valid IDs.

There are other valid forms of IDs, but the ones that are valid in such states tend to be the ones owned more by Republicans and less by Democrats. Gun licenses are considered valid, but college IDs aren't.

 

[Ourobolus]

Is that a higher turnout of minorities that already had ID and were pissed off, or those with new IDs?

 

[Slo]

I'm assuming the logistics of obtaining an ID are what causes the drop in voter turnout. So what's stopping us from proactively issuing an ID to all citizens, then requiring the ID as phase 2?

This seems like a problem that could be solved.

 

[skullmuffins]

I'm assuming the logistics of obtaining an ID are what causes the drop in voter turnout. So what's stopping us from proactively issuing an ID to all citizens, then requiring the ID as phase 2?

This seems like a problem that could be solved.

We could probably manage that, but it would defeat the whole purpose of pushing for voter ID laws. They're meant to reduce D turnout. "Voter fraud" is just a pretense.

 

[The Faceless Master]

I'm assuming the logistics of obtaining an ID are what causes the drop in voter turnout. So what's stopping us from proactively issuing an ID to all citizens, then requiring the ID as phase 2?

This seems like a problem that could be solved.

the problem they want to solve with these laws is too many minorities voting.

 

[Tranqueris]

So what is the reason why this shit hasn't been stopped in the courts in all the states that have voter id laws? You'd think that any reasonable judge would be forced to ask Republicans to prove that voter fraud is an active threat and then would ask people wanting to stop these laws to prove that it's discriminatory and meant to stop people from voting, which they can. Like when that one asshole from Ohio was bragging about how voter id was helping to stop Obama or something like that.

 

[Deepwater]

Voter ID is stupid because of the massive hoops that require getting a valid state ID in the first place.

Here's the requirements that you need to bring to the DMV in North Carolina: https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/driver/license/#documents

At least two of:
Driver License
Birth Certificate
Original Social Security Card
Motor Vehicle Driver's Record

AND
Proof of Social Security

AND
Proof of Residency

For older folks living in the country, they were born in a time when hospital records were shit & when the hospitals they were allowed to be born at were shoddy. Lots of people don't have Birth Certificates, or Social Security cards for that matter. Which are basically the essential documents you need if you don't already have an out of state driver license, or an old driver's license from 15-20 years ago. Many of these people have survived their entire life without needing their BC or SS card.

Combined with the fact that the GOPs across many states are instituting these new voter ID laws, and then CLOSING the DMVs in predominately black areas. So what happens if you are immobile (as older people tend to be), and you need a family member or caretaker to drive you to the DMV? Now they have to go significantly further during business hours which they might not be able to do.

Overall, it's a bunch of shit. In North Carolina specifically I really wish we could impeach and put every GOP member who voted that shit in, on trial. It's blatantly racist and oppressive.

 

[Saint Gregory]

By design.

They don't even try to hide it. Most of these states that implement these kinds of laws have massive reductions in DMV locations and hours in the same bills.

So what is the reason why this shit hasn't been stopped in the courts in all the states that have voter id laws? You'd think that any reasonable judge would be forced to ask Republicans to prove that voter fraud is an active threat and then would ask people wanting to stop these laws to prove that it's discriminatory and meant to stop people from voting, which they can. Like when that one asshole from Ohio was bragging about how voter id was helping to stop Obama or something like that.

The Republicans have had a habit of passing these kinds of laws right before elections in multiple states all at the same time to spread out the resources of organizations like the ACLU. By the time they get to challenging them in court it's often too late to help voters. The laws get struck down in court and the Republicans just offer a different version of the bills next election, rinse/repeat.

The only way to stop this is by wrestling control of these state legislations from the Republican party but good luck doing that with all the gerrymandering.