This got lost a bit in the rush of debates and results out of New Hampshire. But this is really critical information. It turns out that Voter ID laws – now in force in most US states – are even more effective than we thought at reducing minority turnout. A lot more effective.
We’ve always basically known this was the case and that it was the actual intention behind these laws. But that knowledge was based on history, some studies and a lot of simple logic. But since 2008 numerous states have passed these laws. So we now have enough election data for an empirical study. A group of researchers at UC-San Diego are the first to look at validated election data, not self-reporting, to do controlled analysis of differential voting rates in Voter ID and non-Voter ID states. And the results are dramatic. Just one example: Hispanic voter turnout is fully 10% lower in Voter ID states than non-Voter ID states.
As you know, I’ve been writing about this issue on TPM for more than a decade. So I’ve always thought these laws would have a big effect. But I confess I did not realize they would be this large. These laws are profoundly reshaping the electorate in favor of white voters and the Republican party in states around the country. It’s a huge, huge deal. Here’s our write up of the study and an interview with one of its authors.
