Requiring Voter ID at the Polls Reduces Minority Turn-Out, So Why Are the Feds Pushing It?
By Greg Mathis

Election reform is a serious issue in this country, one that has to be dealt with. But denying American citizens the right to vote is not the way to do it.

And that’s exactly what’s happening in states that implement new identification requirements. A new study shows that voter identification requirements designed to combat fraud may actually reduce turnout, particularly among voters of color.

Data recently released by the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University shows voter turnout for the 2004 elections was about 4 percent lower in states that required voters to sign their name or produce documentation. Turn-out was 10 percent lower for Hispanics and about 6 percent lower for blacks and Asians. With some states threatening to enact even stricter laws, it is a safe assumption that turn-out would be reduced even further. This is simply not acceptable.

Federal law currently requires first-time voters to verify their identity. Approved identification varies, ranging from social security cards to utility bills to signatures. Only one state, Indiana, currently requires voters to produce a government-issued photo ID. The federal government, however, would like to change that.

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