The state of Indiana was among the first in a wave of states to pass a strict photo ID law to vote. Republicans say it was necessary to prevent fraud, while Democrats call it a solution in search of a problem. The state of Indiana was among the first in a wave of states to pass a strict photo ID law to vote. Republicans say it was necessary to prevent fraud, while Democrats call it a solution in search of a problem.
In the last four years, a half-dozen states have added laws that require voters to present a government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot in an election. Opponents say it disenfranchises poor and minority voters, while proponents say it’s needed to stem voter fraud.
As election day nears there are almost always reports of voter suppression and intimidation. The tactics vary from election to election, making them difficult to predict or counteract. But that’s exactly what Eric Marshall, manager of legal mobilization for Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law works to do.
On Monday, the Justice Department blocked a new Texas voter identification law on the basis that the law would disproportionately affect Hispanics and that it violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The law would have required all Texas voters to show some form of photo ID before voting. This past December, the Justice Department blocked […]