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When The Veil And The Vote Collide: Enhancing Muslim Women’S Rights Through Electoral Reform, Amber R. Maltbie

Amber R Maltbie

Voter identification laws serve a critical purpose in the consolidation of emerging democracies and post-conflict situations. By serving as a prophylactic curb against voter fraud when trust in the electoral process is low, voter identification laws strengthen the public’s perception of an election’s integrity and the legitimacy of the government elected. However, even when administered absent any discriminatory intent, these laws can have unintended consequences, especially for Muslim women who wear a veil that covers the face. For new democracies or post-conflict states with large or majority Muslim populations, voter turnout among women can be suppressed if the jurisdiction’s electoral …