Voter ID Remains an Issue as Voters Go to the Polls

by Whitney Norton

As voters go to the polls in Indiana, the issue of voter ID remains at the forefront. 

Politico published a piece by Ben Adler, ID law could depress black turnout in Ind., on Saturday, examining the potential impact of the Supreme Court decision:

Experts say African-American voters...might be disproportionately affected in Tuesday’s Indiana primary by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the state’s voter identification requirement.

Studies show that African-Americans are especially likely not to have the identification necessary to vote on Tuesday. Several other groups, notably elderly voters, disabled voters and young voters, are also more likely than the general population not to have the necessary identification.

The piece continues, noting other demographics at risk for disenfranchisement due to the Supreme Court decision:

...a University of Washington study found that 28 percent of African-Americans in the state of Indiana do not have the proper ID to vote. African-Americans make up 9 percent of the voting population in Indiana.

By comparison, slightly less than 20 percent of Indianans over 70 do not have the necessary ID, according to the same study. ... According to a recent Rock the Vote poll, 19 percent of people under 30 do not have a valid photo identification with their current address.  Since young people move frequently they are less likely to have identification cards with their current address.

Adler went on to quote Jonah Goldman, speaking about the real-life effects of such laws on minorities:

"We’ve seen in the past that voter ID provisions are only implemented on people who fit into certain categories," said Jonah Goldman, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Rights Project. "We’ve gotten hotline calls from, for example, an African-American voter who says he was IDed but not the person in front of him or behind him."

Click here to read the full article.

If you have any questions or encounter any problems at the polls today call 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Trained volunteers are staffing the hotline to provide voters with free live assistance if they encounter any problems at the polls. No question is too simple or too complex.

Also, make sure you know your rights before you go to the polls on the May 6th by downloading the Indiana or North Carolina voters’ rights flyers.