Study: ID laws could deter millions
The combined effects of voter roll purges, demands for proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements in several states may hinder at least 10 million Hispanic citizens who seek to vote this fall, civil rights advocates warn in a new report.
Hispanic voters are considered pivotal to the presidential election this November, and are being heavily courted by both Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. If they turn out in large numbers, Hispanics could sway the outcome in several swing states.
Continue ReadingIn an analysis based on government data, civil rights group The Advancement Project identified legal barriers that could deter voter registration and participation among eligible Hispanics. In some of those states, the group’s researchers said, the number of voter-eligible Latino citizens potentially blocked by those barriers exceeds the margin of victory in the 2008 election.
“Like African Americans, Latinos have experienced decreased access and correspondingly lower levels of voter registration and participation than non-Hispanic whites,” said the report, which was being released Monday.
The report called for repeal of policies that wrongfully inhibit Hispanic voters, and asked that the Justice Department investigate and prosecute “any related voting rights violations.”
According to census data, there were more than 21 million Hispanics of voting age in 2010. They made up roughly 10 percent of all eligible voters and 8 percent of registered voters in the United States.
Among eligible Hispanics in 2010, 6.3 million said they were not registered to vote, and 10.8 million - about half of those of voting age - said they did not vote, the report said.
By comparison, the report said, there were 172.4 million non-Hispanic white citizens eligible to vote in 2010, with nearly 18 percent unregistered and 38 percent who said they did not vote.
There are three significant barriers to Hispanic voter participation, researchers said: citizenship-based voter purges, proof of citizenship requirements and photo identification laws.
Sixteen states have either adopted or are pursuing citizenship-related purges of their voter rolls, the report said. Those states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Those states are home to nearly 5.5 million registered Latino voters, and 1.1 million naturalized citizens from Latin America. Colorado and Florida identified voters for possible purging by comparing their voter registrations with driver’s license databases that show which voters indicated they were immigrants - thereby creating a problem, the report said.
“Naturalized citizens typically received their driver’s licenses when they were legal immigrants but before becoming naturalized citizens (and before registering to vote); therefore, this method generates lists of voters to be checked that targets naturalized citizens,” the report said.
Florida stopped its effort to remove noncitizens from its voter rolls once officials realized that they were using an outdated database to check citizenship.
As of last month, laws requiring additional citizenship documents - a certified birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers - in order to register to vote were in effect in Georgia, might take effect in Alabama and Arizona later this year, and had been proposed in several states, the report said.
Such a demand was “previously unheard of” in the U.S., the report said, mainly because federal protections against noncitizens registering to vote already were in place. Asking for extra paperwork effectively puts “onerous and sometimes expensive” requirements on Latino voters at a disproportionate rate over others, researchers said.
The same is true for “restrictive” photo identification laws in nine states: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, the report said.
Readers' Comments (35)
madashellinAZ2010 Party: Republican
Reply #1
Sep. 23, 2012 - 7:11 PM EST
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Aricebo Party: N/A
Reply #2
Sep. 23, 2012 - 7:37 PM EST
GOP voter suppression mission accomplished!
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KS0591 Party: Independent
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Sep. 23, 2012 - 7:50 PM EST
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'BamaDon Party: Independent
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KS0591 Party: Independent
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T.J. H. Party: Republican
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newshound4life Party: NA
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Sep. 23, 2012 - 10:57 PM EST
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Dr_Al Party: Independent
Reply #13
Sep. 23, 2012 - 11:26 PM EST
Duh. If a college ID has no date then how would anyone at the voting station know it's not 10 years old? The same holds true for an expired drivers license. I'm sure that colleges will start putting dates on all their college IDs. If they really didn't want college kids to vote they could have simply made it a requirement that you had to live in the state for 120 consecutive days.
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lestar Party: N/A
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Spirit of Seventy Si... Party: Conservative
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chevatx2 Party: Independent
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Sep. 24, 2012 - 10:29 AM EST
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Read all 35 comments in our forumIf they can't produce an ID proving who they are, they clearly do not have the right to vote.
You need an ID for cervecas, smokes, to cash checks, go to a doctor, to enter the Democrat convention, to enter the White House... If you need an ID to enter the White House, we should be required to have one to vote for the person who will work IN the White House!
You mean to tell me there's millions of hispanics that DON'T have an ID.
They had FOUR dang YEARS to get an ID.
NO EXCUSE ACCEPTABLE for not having one.
Too bad, tuff luck!
So if the democratic party is so worried about this why don't they have a campaign to take these people to get their id's. Personally I do not think it is an issue - it's like many that are made up because it sounds good. If these people don't have id's and you helped them get one then just think how much you would be helping them out. Now they would be able to buy sudafed, go on a plane and even go to the doctors or the dentist.
Voter roll purges, reducing days/hours of voting, and restictive ID laws are all GOP attempts to tilt the election.
To the hacks that claim ID is no big deal - the laws specify certain IDs - for example a college ID has to have an expiration date on it - most do not - and expired driver's licenses are no good - the facts are that ALEC did research on who lacked certain ID and laws were drafted to target those people and adopted by GOP-controlled states...
It is a new form of poll tax.
Interesting that they did research but have nothing to explain why these people don't have ID"s. Just based on demographic data they are assuming the effect - I sure wouldn't hire that group to do reserach for me! They concluded it COULD impact they are just guessing.
It sounds like the GOP is suppressing the vote for NON US CITIZENS! How dare they! Illegal immigrants shouldn't be denied the opportunity to cast an illegal ballot for the Liar in Chief! Those darn evil Republicans! How can they live with themselves!?!?!
There are three significant barriers to Hispanic voter participation, researchers said: citizenship-based voter purges, proof of citizenship requirements and photo identification laws.
You have to be a citizen to vote IT'S THE LAW!!
What makes this a GOP Voter Suppression Scam?? Do Democrats not follow the law?? Or do they ONLY follow the ones they LIKE?? The ones that get them VOTES?? Sounds to ME like it's the Democrats that are the problem here, NOT the Republicans.....
Nero's Still Fiddlin' while Rome Burns.....
Could? If you're discouraged because you have to take the extra step of getting an ID then you weren't going to vote to begin with.
So obviously welfare checks are racist since a recipient needs an ID to cash them.
Obama promissed he would reach out and help the Hispanics in his first year!! The least he could have done was to was have all his millions of supporters to reach out and help one Hispanic register to vote. He has had four years and has done nothing.
"words just words?"
I am a Naturalized Citizen. If anyone has/carries ID and documentation about who they are immigrants are at the front of the line in this country. You HAVE to carry ID, Green Card, passport, you name it. The idea, since no proof has been offered by the DOJ, that "minorities" will be affected by the voter ID laws is simply a fabrication. EVERYBODY has ID. To get food stamps, Medicaid, cash assistance or any government service you need ID. To buy a bus pass you need ID. In most states if you are a senior citizen you have Medicare, Medicaid and can get a free ID from the state.
I am all for the Voter ID laws. It might make a difference this time, but in two years, when every one of the Latinos and African-Americans and every other minority has a proper ID, we'll remember at the polls..
DNC Requires IDs To Enter Convention
Liberals = Why things fail. They are just too elitist and arrogant as too understand why.
An immature democracy is what the current state of American politics is. Putting stumbling blocks to deny citizens from voting. We should not dare speak about sending election monitors to less mature democracies. We live in a glass house. Certain political party has chosen this path as this is the only way to victory. The Supreme court is a joke and they are the ones who will decide 2012 election fiasco. And guess what , not based on the laws, but on political ideologies. I think Obama will loose this election because a large measure of his supporters will be denied the right to exercise their right to vote. The states have many rights but one right they should not have is deciding the election laws. It is shameful ! It is blatant !! Do we still have the right to label ourselves as a democracy ?
There you have, "proof of citizenship" is now a barrier.. If you clown needed more evidence that the Dems are desperate for the illragl vote which makes you cowards at best.
Of course this group is non partisan and has no agenda - Right? Of course not. They oppose voter ID on partisan grounds. But POLITICO or the main stream media will not say that. So let us allow anyone to vote anywhere without an ID. Who cares? Let anyone come across the border. Who cares? Let anyone draw welfare benefits. Who cares? Let anyone go to an emergency room to get free medical treatment. Who cares? Let anyone get unemployment, or health insurance, or a Pell grant, or a free cell phone, or food stamps, or all the FREE government goodies. Who cares?
We The People care. We're paying for it. And we are watching this Federal Government under Obama and the Democrats spend 40 cents more than every dollar they take in for all these free goodies. That is a future tax on our kids and grandkids because we are stupid and selfish and can't live within our means. God Save America from this socialist President and all the Liberal twits who hand out free lunches.
Yes, I'm sure those who are not US citizens and also the dead will be deterred from voting. This is ridiculous. Most Americans support picture ID requirement to vote. Mexico and Latin American countries in general require a picture ID. Even members of indigenous communities in Latin America vote with a picture ID. I am Latina, first generation American, came to the US as an adult and travel back to Latin America several times per year. People over there would LAUGH at this discussion. If there is a small group of Americans who genuinely need some help, then the States and other institutions could offer help. I will not comment on all the things for which a picture ID is needed in this country, since this has been said many times. Let's just stop the nonsense and focus on the real issues.
This article and premise is laughable. Everyone has to have ID these days. Most 16 year olds are capable of getting an ID these days.
It's 2012 and anything else is simply another astounding demonstration of how truly stupid and helpless Democrats are in today's America and what a drag Democrats continue to be on society.
Nobody is buying the Democrats whining about why they supposedly don't have an ID. The very notion is laughable.
Amazing how Democrats continue to bray to the public that they are made up of the dumbest underachievers in the nation.
I think Hispanics are insulted that Democrats are now trying to spin that Hispanics are the dumbest people in society and are trying to use Hispanics as an excuse that Obama is ginning up now for why he has lost this election.
Again, nobody is buying this rubbish that the Democrats are trying to sell to the American people.
Instead of being on the side of lawbreakers who are hurting the legitimacy of American elections, why doesnt' Politico, the majority of the mainstream media and the American government do what it should do and that is defend the last true bastion of freedom and liberty and that is our vote.
All voter ID laws were carefull written and scrutinzed to pass any constitutional challenge. I am an American citizen who has a legitimate birth certificate. When I applied for my social security card, I was required by law to show all sorts of ID including my drivers license. When I go to the store and give a check for payment, they ask me for my drivers license. Or when I go to the bank or whenever I have to fly on any airlines. If a person is a lawful citizen and has not cheated, lied or perjured themselves to gain access to a voters registration and card to vote, then they have nothing to worry about. It seems to me that the outcry is only because Obama wants as many "dead" people to vote as possible and ineligible voters to commit fraud as possible to win him an election. Just goes to show you what he will stoop to win...at any cost including breaking the law and getting others to break the law as well.
IF we do not protect the vote, then what is the point. Corruption will make every election illegitmate and subjec to lawsuits for years to come. The curious thing is that the New Black Panthers intimidated and blocked voters in the last election and the DOJ ignored it but he and Obama are willing to run over the American people to win at any cost. My view is that there is equal protection under the law for the voters but not everyone is treated equally by Obama...he will buy your vote and if anyone usurps my vote by fraud..well..lets just say that this is not the last word by the American people.
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