Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Partisan Strategy Of Voter Identification Requirements: Barrier To The Ballot Or Mobilizer Of Minorities?, Ryan Voris

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The 2000 US Presidential Election brought the confusing array of electoral rules to the minds of many in the mass media and politics. One reform advocated to improve the integrity of elections was to require voters to present identification at the polls prior to receiving a ballot. This particular reform generated much controversy, as critics worried that millions of citizens would be denied a ballot because they lacked government-issued photo ID, a form of ID advocated by many Republican officials. The controversy extended to the courts, with photo ID requirements upheld by a 6-3 US Supreme Court decision in 2008 …