Suppressing the vote: voter identification laws and their impact on voter turnout
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Citation
Abstract
Voter identification (ID) laws have become an increasingly pervasive topic in the
US, with many politicians and researchers claiming that these laws are highly
discriminatory towards particular voting populations. In this paper, I conduct a
longitudinal study focusing on 7 states that have implemented photo voter identification
laws, seeking to uncover their impact on voter turnout. I track voter turnout in the 3
presidential elections preceding the implementation of the state’s voter ID law, and in the
presidential election following the implementation of the voter ID law. I disaggregate my
turnout findings by age, race, and sex. Each state is examined not only through
quantitative turnout data from the US Census Bureau, but also through delving into a
comprehensive analysis of other political and social factors that may have influenced
voter turnout rates. My findings indicate that strict implementation voter identification
laws have a particularly negative impact on voter turnout amongst racial minorities as
well as the youngest and oldest members of the voting age population.