Voter ID & Registration News
The Daily Signal examines the state-by-state debates over voter ID requirements, registration rules, and election integrity.
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- Opinion
North Carolina Voter ID Ruling Puts Security of Democracy at Stake
It’s a cornerstone of our democracy: Government is to be of the people, by the people, and for the people, deriving its authority from the consent of the governed. These fundamental principles are at stake in North Carolina, due to a ruling from an activist federal judge on voter ID. It’s amazing that we’re still…Dan Forest -
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Voter ID Opponents Lose Again. This Time in North Dakota.
Opponents of election integrity lost the latest in a long string of cases recently when a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated North Dakota’s voter ID requirement and tossed out an injunction that had been issued by a lower court. In Brakebill v. Jaeger, Judge Steven Colloton, writing for the…Hans von Spakovsky -
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California Audits DMV for 100,000 Voter Registration Errors
California’s secretary of state and Legislature have launched investigations of the state’s automatic voter registration system, which officials say enrolled noncitizens and minors and got addresses wrong. Democrats in Congress are promoting automatic voter registration nationally, as part of legislation dubbed the For the People Act, also known as HR 1. But a nonpartisan, nonprofit…Fred Lucas -
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America Doesn’t Need Automatic Voter Registration. Just Look to California.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have held up California’s new, error-plagued automatic voter registration program as a model for the nation, and are now pushing for a nationalized version of the program in a bill called the For the People Act. The bill would require all states to implement automatic voter registration systems, which advocates claim…Joanne Young -
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New Study Confirms Voter ID Laws Don’t Hurt Election Turnout
Less than one week after Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams made inflammatory claims in her State of the Union response about an epidemic of “voter suppression” jeopardizing the character of our nation, the National Bureau of Economic Research released a study that demonstrates once again that voter ID laws have no measurable impact on voting behavior. In…Caleb Morrison -
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New Study: Voter ID Laws Don’t Deter Turnout or Fraud
Yet another study has found that voter ID laws do not suppress voter turnout, but the study also asserted such laws have no clear effect on stopping voter fraud. The study was compiled by two professors, Vincent Pons of Harvard University Business School and Enrico Cantoni of the economics department at the University of Bologna…Fred Lucas -
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Swing State Governor Aims to Repeal Voter ID Requirement
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday announced proposed legislation to repeal the state’s requirement that voters show photo ID. “Participation makes our democracy strong—we should encourage every eligible voter to exercise this fundamental right, rather than creating unnecessary barriers that make getting to the ballot box difficult,” Northam, a Democrat, said in a statement. Delegate Kaye…Luke Rosiak -
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Errant Phone Message Is a ‘Text’-Book Case for Voter ID Laws
I got an alarming text message a few weeks ago from an Ohio phone number I didn’t recognize. Someone—or perhaps some robot—named Caity, from a group called Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, had an urgent message for me: “[V]oter suppression & purging is at an all-time high in Ohio,” the text read in part….Jason Snead -
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The Latest Absurd Claim From Left: Requiring Voter Registration Is ‘Voter Suppression’ Tool
As Election Day rapidly approaches, the radical Left is making yet another absurd claim: that requiring voter registration is a “voter suppression” tool. Registration is essential to assure the integrity of elections. It allows election officials to verify the eligibility and identity of voters. It also enables them to make sure they will have enough ballots…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Judge Strikes Down Kansas ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Voter ID Law
A federal judge in Kansas City struck down a state law Monday requiring Kansas voters to show proof of citizenship before casting ballots. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, a George W. Bush appointee, found the statute unlawfully burdens ballot access for eligible voters, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act and the Constitution. “The court determines…Kevin Daley -
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Judge Upholds Alabama Voter ID Law in Win for Common Sense
A federal judge in Alabama has thrown out a lawsuit against the state’s voter ID law, finding that the law doesn’t prevent anyone from voting because “nearly the entire population of registered voters in Alabama already possess a photo ID that can be used for voting.” For those who don’t, obtaining a qualifying ID can…Hans von Spakovsky -
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States Spurning Election Commission Show Irregularities in Voter Registration
Many of the states refusing to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s election commission aren’t in compliance with federal law on maintaining voter registration lists, according to government watchdog groups. So far, 18 states and the District of Columbia have declined or are still considering whether to provide election data to the Presidential Advisory Commission on…Fred Lucas -
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Texas’ Voter ID Law Is Back in Force. Here’s Why That’s Such a Big Deal.
Last week, Christian Adams and I reported on the latest mistaken decision by federal District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, who threw out—for the fifth time—Texas’ amended voter ID law. Texas immediately appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and requested a stay of Ramos’ decision. On Tuesday, in a 2-1 vote, a…Hans von Spakovsky -
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A Biased Judge Tosses a Texas Voter ID Law, Again
Some judges are determined to strike down election integrity laws, no matter what. How else can you explain last week’s irrational decision handed down by federal District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos? A President Barack Obama appointee, Ramos is at least consistent. This was the fifth time she has rejected a voter ID law for…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear North Carolina’s Voter ID Appeal. Here’s Why It’s Not a Big Deal.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal filed by the North Carolina Legislature in response to the three-judge panel striking down its state voter ID law and other election reforms. No one should read anything substantive into this. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote Monday in a two-page supplement to…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Supreme Court Won’t Revive North Carolina’s Voter ID Law
The Supreme Court declined to review a ruling that struck down North Carolina’s voter ID law Monday, dealing a blow to ballot integrity measures around the country. The law, adopted days after the Supreme Court effectively struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, requires voters to present a government-issued…Paul Runko -
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Voter ID’s Suppression of Minority Turnout Not Proven, Study Says
A new study by professors from Yale, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania challenges the notion that voter ID laws disproportionately affect minorities. “For a perfect example of the term ‘alternate facts,’ look no further,” @LCChurchwell says. The new study finds “no definitive relationship” between tough laws requiring voters to present identification and a dropoff in…Fred Lucas -
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A Simple, 3-Step Approach to Defending Voter ID Laws
With 56 days to go until the election, you can bet voter identification requirements will increasingly be a major topic of conversation. Just this past weekend, a federal appeals court overturned proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration in three states. As voters prepare to head to the booths in just a few short weeks, the debate…Beverly Hallberg -
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Hacking of Election Data Raises Concerns for States Without Voter ID
Hacking incidents at voter registration systems in Arizona and Illinois could demonstrate the need for stronger voter identification laws and the flaw with pushing for online voting and registration, experts said. “We can’t afford this vulnerability in our election systems,” Mark Meckler, president of Citizens for Self-Governance and a former internet technology lawyer, told The Daily…Fred Lucas