Analysis & Commentary
Voter ID
Reject Voter ID
Seniors, minorities, young people and the poor could lose their right to vote.
Authored by: Keesha Gaskins
– 01/11/12
Congressional Response to Wave of Voting Restrictions
As individual states have been introducing and passing new laws that restrict access to the ballot box, members of Congress are responding at the federal level. They have introduced legislation, announced Congressional hearings, drafted letters, and given passionate floor speeches to stand up for the right to vote. This page will be updated as new Congressional actions are initiated.
– 11/17/11
Letter to the Department of Justice on Texas’s Section 5 Submission
Texas's new law, which imposes a government-issued photo ID requirement for voting, will disproportionately burden minority voters and produce discriminatory effects.
– 11/16/11
Department of Justice Letter Seeking Texas Preclearance Denial
The Brennan Center for Justice, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Texas State Conference of the NAACP submitted a joint letter to the Department of Justice, relying on extensive statistical evidence to show that Texas’ newly-passed voter ID restrictions will disproportionately harm minority voting rights in the state.
– 09/15/11
“Citizens Without Proof” Stands Strong
A 2006 national survey commissioned by the Brennan Center found that as many as 11% of voting-age adults – millions of Americans – did not have a current and valid government-issued photo ID. This is a troubling statistic for advocates of strict photo ID policies. Hans von Spakovsky and Alex Ingram of the Heritage Foundation recently published a memo attacking our study and this widely-cited, independently confirmed statistic. This document contains details on our study and explains why their attacks are baseless.
Authored by: Wendy Weiser, Keesha Gaskins, & Sundeep Iyer
– 09/08/11
Research and Publications on Voter ID
Social science research on the impact voter identification restrictions.
– 08/10/11
Voter ID Laws Passed in 2011
Alabama, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin all passed new voter ID laws in their 2011 legislative sessions. We've compiled their vital details on each new law in this document.
Authored by: The Brennan Center Voting Rights and Elections Project
– 08/08/11
Voting Rights in 2011: A Legislative Round-Up
As the 2012 election approaches, a massive crackdown on voting rights is unfolding – the most significant such assault in decades. Millions of Americans risk disenfranchisement, blocked from casting ballots or having them count.
Authored by: Wendy Weiser and Nhu-Y Ngo
– 07/15/11
An Attack on Elections With Broad Implications
Reasonable people can debate the wisdom of voting to oust elected representatives before their terms are up – or the merits of rethinking the rules that govern public-sector unions. But there is no way to defend the one-two move to destroy a crucial safeguard of judicial integrity while burdening the right to vote.
Authored by: Mimi Marziani
– 06/04/11
Voter ID Legislation in the States
This legislative session, at least 38 states are considering or have considered some type of voter ID and/or proof of citizenship legislation. This document lists the status of each voter ID bill under consideration.
Authored by: Nhu-Y Ngo & Keesha Gaskins
– 03/22/11