Issue #216

Primary elections offer 1st major test of voter ID laws

In elections that begin this week, voters in 10 states will be required to present photo identification before casting ballots—the first major test of voter ID laws after years of legal challenges arguing that the measures are designed to suppress voting. The first election is March 4 in Texas, followed by nine other primaries running through early September that will set the ballot for the midterm elections in November, when voters decide competitive races for governor and control of Congress. The primaries will be closely watched by both sides of the voter ID debate, which intensified in 2011, the year after Republicans swept to power in dozens of statehouses. Supporters of the measures, mostly Republican conservatives, contend the ID checks protect against fraudulent voting and thus help build trust in government. Critics see them as a way of discouraging the kind of voters who lack picture IDs and might be more likely to support Democrats. Associated Press (US News and World Report) 2-28-14.