In at least 36 states across the country, Republican governors and legislators have been pushing photo ID bills, which would make it harder for hundreds of thousands of Americans to vote. Despite an overwhelming number of studies disputing claims of voter fraud, which is the purported basis for these laws, Republicans continue to introduce these proposals—often at the expense of minorities and young adults in particular.
The Washington Post reports:
In states across the country, Republican legislatures are pushing through laws that make it more difficult for Americans to vote. The most popular include new laws requiring voters to bring official identification to the polls. Estimates suggest that more than 1 in 10 Americans lack an eligible form of ID, and thus would be turned away at their polling location. Most are minorities and young people, the most loyal constituencies of the Democratic Party.
Although scant evidence of fraud exists, Republicans won’t be deterred:
And yet, a close examination finds that voter fraud, in truth, is essentially nonexistent. A report from the Brennan Center for Justice found the incidence of voter fraud at rates such as 0.0003 percent in Missouri and 0.000009 percent in New York. “Voter impersonation is an illusion,” said Michael Waldman, executive director of the Brennan Center. “It almost never happens, and when it does, it is in numbers far too small to effect the outcome of even a close election.”
Click here to read the entire story in the Washington Post.