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Vol. 38, No. 18 |
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2-19-2008 Ask the Expert, 2/21/08
Ohio falls somewhere in the middle in terms of the identification it requires of voters at the polling places on Election Day. Some states require only that voters verify their identity by signing the poll books with a signature matching the signature on file with the election authorities. Other states, meanwhile, require voters to provide a government-issued photo identification. In Ohio, state law currently requires registered voters to establish their identity to the election judges with any of a variety of forms of identification that contain both the name and the current address of the voter. Voters without acceptable identification may still vote a provisional ballot, which may or may not be counted depending on whether election officials are subsequently able to determine that the voter was eligible to vote. Are voter ID laws more partisan politicking or is there an actual need to protect against voter fraud? Voter ID laws have certainly become an issue that breaks down largely on partisan lines. In recent years there have been almost no instances of voter impersonation at the polls that a voter ID requirement would have prevented, and there certainly have been no widespread problems of voter impersonation that have threatened to taint an election outcome. At the same time, public confidence in the election process may be enhanced by some form of a voter ID requirement, and promoting public confidence is itself an important goal. Whom do voter ID laws tend to hurt most and why? The more restrictive the voter ID law, the more it tends to disenfranchise poorer voters, immigrants and minorities. Many Americans may think that in today’s world having a photo identification is universal. In fact, however, many studies have shown that in certain portions of American society, primarily among the poor, many individuals lack such forms of identification as a driver’s license or state ID card. A strict photo ID card requirement disproportionately affects the ability of these individuals to participate in our political processes. Because these voters have tended to support Democratic candidates, Democrats tend to oppose strict voter ID requirements and to favor enhancing access to the polls for these individuals. Meanwhile, Republicans have in recent years tended to be more concerned with security at the polls than with access and typically are the strongest backers of measures designed to minimize the potential of unlawful voting. Is there a better solution to current ID requirements? Our neighbor to the north has a nice approach. Michigan’s voter ID law, implemented for the first time last fall, allows voters who lack one of the state’s acceptable forms of identification to sign an affidavit to that effect. This affidavit puts the voters clearly on notice that if they are not who they say they are, they will be subject to criminal punishment, but then lets them vote a regular ballot.
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How does Ohio’s voter ID law differ from most other states?