How do voter id laws work

This finding has been supported by other research here and here. However, there are methodological challenges to estimating the true causal effects of strict voter identification law, including deficiencies in data quality and sensitivity of results to choices made in statistical estimation here and here.

While it may seem obvious that voter ID laws serve to depress turnout even if descriptively and not causally , scholars have made important arguments that the very presence of voter ID laws can have a counter-mobilizing effect that encourages greater turnout among voting populations that are targeted by those laws. Another important research issue is whether ID laws are implemented consistently as written. Based on studies involving close observation of poll workers, at least two articles here and here suggest that inconsistent implementation may be common.

Another aspect of voter ID laws is the effect of these laws on the confidence of voters. Research into this question was partially inspired by the argument of the Supreme Court in Marion County that a rational justification for a state passing a strict ID law is to instill greater confidence in the electoral process.

However, the research conducted on this question see here and here has not found a consistent correlation between the presence of strict ID laws in a state and an increase in voter confidence or a decrease in the belief that fraud is rampant.

Scholars have also studied factors that lead states to adopt strict ID requirements. Strict ID laws are fairly popular among all elements of the mass public, including Democrats, minority groups, and liberals. Still, Republicans, conservatives, and whites are more likely to approve of these laws.

What prompts a state legislature to adopt a strict photo ID law appears to be a confluence of three factors:. While these factors are not present in all states that have adopted strict photo ID laws, they are common to most. Commission on Federal Election Reform. William D. Hicks, Scott C. McKee, Mitchell D. Seller, and Daniel A. Highton, Benjamin. Texas allows concealed weapons permits for voting, but does not accept student ID cards.

Voter ID laws are enforced in a discriminatory manner. Several studies, including a GAO study, have found that photo ID laws have a particularly depressive effect on turnout among racial minorities and other vulnerable groups, worsening the participation gap between voters of color and whites.

A recent study found that, since , there were only 31 credible allegations of voter impersonation — the only type of fraud that photo IDs could prevent — during a period of time in which over 1 billion ballots were cast. States incur sizeable costs when implementing voter ID laws, including the cost of educating the public, training poll workers, and providing IDs to voters. If an individual is not able to show a valid form of identification but asserts qualifications as an elector in the precinct in which the individual desires to vote, the individual may mark a ballot that must be securely set aside in a sealed envelope designed by the secretary of state.

After the ballot is set aside, the individual may show a valid form of identification to either a polling place election board member if the individual returns to the polling place before the polls close, or to an employee of the office of the election official responsible for the administration of the election before the meeting of the canvassing board occurring on the sixth day after the election.

Each ballot set aside under this subsection must be presented to the members of the canvassing board for proper inclusion or exclusion from the tally. The following forms of identification are valid for individuals living under special circumstances who do not possess a valid form of identification:.

A voter who has but declines to provide identification may cast a provisional ballot upon providing a Social Security number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. A voter who has neither identification nor a Social Security number may execute an affidavit to that effect and vote a provisional ballot.

A voter who declines to sign the affidavit may still vote a provisional ballot. Voters who cast a provisional ballot because they did not provide acceptable proof of identity must appear in person at the board of elections to provide such proof within the 10 days immediately following Election Day.

A voter registration card issued by the appropriate county elections board may serve as proof of identity without meeting all of the above requirements. A provisional ballot cast by a voter who declines or is unable to produce proof of identity shall only be considered verified and approved for counting if the voter's name, residence address, date of birth, and driver's license number or last four digits of Social Security number as provided on the affidavit match what is in the registration database.

Rhode Island. A valid unexpired or expired within the last 6 months document showing a photo of the person to whom it was issued, including:. If the person claiming to be a registered and eligible voter is unable to provide proof of identity as required, the person shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot pursuant to section The local board shall determine the validity of the provisional ballot pursuant to section Summary of section If the signatures match, the provisional ballot shall count.

If the signatures do not match, the ballot shall not count and shall be rejected as illegal. South Carolina. Voters who have a reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID may show a non-photo voter registration card in lieu of photo ID, sign an affidavit attesting to the impediment, and cast a provisional ballot.

From the State Election Commission's web site :. If you have a reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID, you may vote a provisional ballot after showing your nonphoto voter registration card. A reasonable impediment is any valid reason, beyond your control, which created an obstacle to obtaining photo ID.

Some examples include:. If you do NOT have photo ID and do NOT have a reasonable impediment to obtaining one, or you simply forgot to bring it with you to the polls, you may still vote a provisional ballot.

However, for your vote to be counted, you must provide one of the photo IDs to the county election commission prior to certification of the election usually Thursday or Friday after the election. South Dakota. If a voter is not able to present a form of personal identification as required, the voter may complete an affidavit in lieu of the personal identification.

The affidavit shall require the voter to provide his or her name and address. The voter shall sign the affidavit under penalty of perjury. If a voter is unable to present the proper evidence of identification, then the voter will be entitled to vote by provisional ballot in the manner detailed in the bill. The provisional ballot will only be counted if the voter provides the proper evidence of identification to the administrator of elections or the administrator's designee by the close of business on the second business day after the election.

However, "A voter who is indigent and unable to obtain proof of identification without payment of a fee or who has a religious objection to being photographed shall be required to execute an affidavit of identity on a form provided by the county election commission and then shall be allowed to vote.

With the exception of the U. Supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo ID and cannot obtain one due to a reasonable impediment:. After presenting a supporting form of ID, the voter must execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

If a voter possesses an acceptable form of photo ID but does not have it at the polling place, the voter will still be permitted to vote provisionally. Voters with a disability who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID may also apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption. Except for first time voters covered by HAVA, any voter who does not show one of the forms of ID specified shall be allowed to vote a regular ballot after signing a statement under penalty of perjury verifying their identity.

A voter who does not show ID or sign a statement shall be offered a provisional ballot. However, county auditors are required to open at least one vote center where voters can cast a ballot in person, and the ID requirement spelled out here applies to those voters.

The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration generally in locations where ballots are scanned or provide identification generally in counties where voting is done electronically, although even in these counties the auditor can verify a voter's signature to a signature on record.

Any individual who desires to vote in person but cannot provide identification shall be issued a provisional ballot, which shall be accepted if the signature on the declaration matches the signature on the voter's registration record. West Virginia. If the person desiring to vote is unable to furnish a valid identifying document, or if the poll clerk determines that the proof of identification presented by the voter does not qualify as a valid identifying document, the person desiring to vote shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot after executing an affidavit affirming his or her identity.

If the ID presented is not proof of residence, the elector shall also present proof of residence. An elector who appears to vote at a polling place and does not have statutory ID shall be offered the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot.

An elector who votes a provisional ballot may furnish statutory ID to the election inspectors before the polls close or to the municipal clerk no later than 4pm on the Friday following Election Day. An elector who votes a provisional ballot must furnish statutory ID to the county clerk by the close of business on the day following the election. Create Account. Strict Photo ID. S interactive map Hover a state to learn more about voter ID laws. Alabama Photo ID requested If no ID is presented, 2 election officials can sign an affidavit attesting to the voter's identity; otherwise the voter votes on a provisional ballot and must resturn to show an ID within 4 days.

California No document required to vote. Connecticut ID Requested; Photo Not Required If ID is not presented, a voter provides name, date of birth, and address, and signs under penalty of making a false statement.

Florida Photo ID requested If ID is not presented, the voter votes on a provisional ballot and election officials compare the signature on it to a signature on record. Hawaii ID requested; photo not required If ID is not presented, the voter recites date of birth and address for corroboration. Illinois No document required to vote. Indiana Strict Photo ID If ID is not presented, the voter votes on a provisional ballot and must return within 6 days to show an ID or sign an affidavit swearing to indigence or a religious objection.

Iowa ID requested; photo not required. Louisiana Photo ID requested If ID is not presented, the voter signs an affidavit and provides date of birth and other information from the poll book. Maine No document required to vote. Maryland No document required to vote. Massachusetts No document required to vote. Minnesota No document required to vote Strict voter ID was turned down by voters in Mississippi Strict Photo ID If ID is not presented, the voter votes on a provisional ballot and must return within 5 days to show ID or sign an affidavit attesting to a religious objection to being photographed.

Montana ID Requested; Photo Not Required If ID is not presented, the voter votes on a provisional ballot and the signature on the ballot envelope is matched to the voter's signature on record.

Nebraska No document required to vote. Nevada No document required to vote. New Hampshire If ID is not presented, the voter signs a challenged voter affidavit and votes a regular ballot. New Jersey No document required to vote. New Mexico No document required to vote. New York No document required to vote. North Carolina No document required to vote. A voter ID law was struck down in North Dakota If ID is not presented, a voter may cast a ballot that is set aside in a sealed envelope.

Oregon No document required to vote. If they have not voted in four years or more, proof of residence is required. Mississippi voters are required to present photo identification in order to vote in person. Accepted forms include a driver's license, U.

Voters in Missouri must generally present identification at the polls. Valid forms of identification include the following: a driver's license or state-issued ID card, a military ID, a U.

If a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free by filling out this form. A voter in Montana is required to present photo identification when appeared to vote. Accepted forms of identification include a valid driver's license, a U. Voters do not need to present identification in order to vote in Nebraska.

A voter may be asked for identification if he or she is a first-time registrant who mailed in his or her registration application and did not provide identification at that time. Nevada does not require voters to present identification while voting in most cases. A voter in Nevada must sign his or her name in the election board register at his or her polling place.

The signature is compared with the signature on the voter's original application to vote or another form of identification, such as a driver's license, a state identification card, military identification, or another government-issued ID.

Voters in New Hampshire must present photo identification at the polls. If a voter is unable to present a valid form of identification, a poll worker will take a photo of the voter and attach it to an affidavit, which must be signed by the voter. Exceptions are provided for those who object to being photographed for religious reasons.

If a New Jersey voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, he or she must show identification at the polling place. Identification includes any valid photo ID or bank statement, car registration, government check, or another document. New Mexico law states that a voter must show identification at the polls only if he or she mailed his or her registration application and did not provide verification of his or her identity at that time. Valid forms of identification include photo and non-photo forms.

Some municipalities require identification when voting in local elections. In New York, a voter does not have to present identification at the polls. However, if a voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, he or she must show identification at the polling place when voting for the first time.

North Carolina law requires voters to present photo identification at the polls on Election Day. However, as the result of a court order, this requirement is not currently being enforced. North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting.

If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present accepted supplemental documents. Voters who cast absentee ballots or vote by mail must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. On election day at the polling place, Ohio law requires voters to provide some form of identification.

Additionally, every voter must announce his or her full name and current address. A photo ID is not required. If a voter is unable to present a form of valid identification, he or she can provide his or her driver's license number, state identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number and cast a provisional ballot.

Oklahoma requires voters to present identification while voting. Valid forms of identification include government-issued photo IDs and county election board voter identification cards which do not include photographs.

Voters can present a document issued by the United States government, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government that includes their name, photo, and an expiration date after the election date. Oregon is a vote-by-mail state. When registering to vote, a voter must provide his or her driver's license or state ID card number.

Pennsylvania does not require voters to present identification while voting in most cases. However, first-time voters must show identification. Accepted forms include both photo and non-photo ID.

Photo identification is required at the polls in Rhode Island. All voters in South Dakota must present photo identification at the polls. If a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she can sign a personal identification affidavit. Texas requires voters to present a form of photo identification at the polls. If a voter does not possess the required form of identification, poll workers must ask the voter whether he or she "cannot obtain an acceptable form of photo ID.

Upon doing so, the voter may cast a regular ballot. Some voters are exempt from the ID requirement. At the polling place, a Utah voter can either present a form of identification that bears his or her name and photograph or two forms of identification that bear his or her name and address.

Only first-time voters who registered by mail are required to present identification at the polls. Voters in Virginia must present non-photo identification at the polls. Valid identification includes the following: voter registration confirmation documents; valid Virginia driver's license; valid United States passport; any other identification issued by the Commonwealth, one of its political subdivisions, or the United States; any valid student identification card issued by any institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth or any private school located in the Commonwealth; any valid student identification card issued by any institution of higher education located in any other state or territory of the United States; any valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer's business; a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.

Most voters in Washington vote by mail and do not have to present ID. But voters who choose to vote in person must show ID. A voter in West Virginia is required to present identification at the polls. Acceptable forms of identification include government-issued IDs both those with and without photographs , bank cards, bank statements, and insurance cards. The voter may also be identified by a poll worker or other adult they have known for at least six months. Voters in Wisconsin are required to present photo identification at the polls.

Accepted forms include Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issues driver's licenses or identification cards, military IDs, and U. Certain voters are exempt from ID requirements. Wyoming requires voters to present identification at the polls. Electoral systems policy.