Research

Texas and South Carolina Voter ID Letters

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, certain jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory voting practices are required to obtain “preclearance” from either the Department of Justice or a federal district court in Washington, DC, for any changes to their voting laws. In order to obtain preclearance, these jurisdictions must show that the changes to their voting laws do not have a retrogressive impact on minority voting strength.
October 14, 2011
Voting Rights & Elections
Restricting the Vote
Voting Law Changes in 2012
Lawrence Norden, Wendy R. Weiser

Ahead of the 2012 elections, a wave of legislation tightening restrictions on voting has suddenly swept across the country. This study details both the bills that have been proposed and the legislation that has been passed since the beginning of 2011.

October 3, 2011
Voting Rights & Elections
Voting Reform Agenda
Voter Registration Modernization
Restricting the Vote
Myth of Voter Fraud
Other Voting Issues
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.

September 15, 2011
Voting Rights & Elections
Restricting the Vote
New State Voting Laws: Barriers to the Ballot?

The Brennan Center submits written testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights hearing: "New State Voting Laws: Barriers to the Ballot?"

September 8, 2011
Voting Rights & Elections
Restricting the Vote
"Citizens Without Proof" Stands Strong
Wendy R. Weiser, Keesha Gaskins, Sundeep Iyer

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.

September 8, 2011
Voting Rights & Elections
Restricting the Vote

Brennan Center for Justice

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Research

Texas and South Carolina Voter ID Letters

Voting Law Changes in 2012

Department of Justice Letter Seeking Texas Preclearance Denial

New State Voting Laws: Barriers to the Ballot?

"Citizens Without Proof" Stands Strong

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