How News Sources Portray Voter Identification Policies
This chart shows how major news sources across the ideological spectrum frame voter identification policies, from left to right-leaning perspectives.
Voting is a main way that people in a democracy can exercise their freedoms and ensure that their voice is heard. However, many barriers and obstacles can prevent certain groups from exercising their right to vote, such as literacy tests and modern voter identification issues. Voter identification is largely affected by political bias and different types of bias, and it’s important to understand and acknowledge these biases.
Voter identification refers to policies where voters must provide identification of their citizenship to vote. Voter identification can range anywhere from presenting documentation with one’s name on it to only government-issued identification. Voter ID laws are typically linked to race, as minority voters are less likely to carry or provide identification of their citizenship. Voter ID laws are most likely found in states with Republican control of the legislature, electoral competitiveness, and a large minority population. They are most active in white districts within racially diverse states, and are less common in homogeneous white states or diverse districts. Voter identification laws are highly partisan – Republicans support them, while Democrats oppose them. But, polling shows that the majority of Americans support some type of photo identification requirement, with just 18% of Americans opposing it.
A Brief History of Voter Identification Laws
Voter identification laws by state have changed throughout time, and each state has different requirements, or none at all. South Carolina was the first state to request identification for voters to be able to vote in 1950, which required voters to bring identification with their name printed on it. These restrictions often did not require photo identification. This new law likely contributed to African Americans’ disenfranchisement, as it decreased their access to voting. Additionally, South Carolina imposed literacy tests and poll taxes that African Americans often could not pass or afford.
After South Carolina pioneered voter identification laws, more states followed them. Hawaii (1970), Texas (1971), Florida (1977), and Alaska (1980) were the next states to impose voter identification laws, which had similar requirements to South Carolina’s laws. By 2005, 14 states had voter identification requirements for voting.
In 2005, Indiana and Georgia adopted voter identification laws, but they were different than ones before. These laws required, not requested, photo identification from voters. Even after a local Democratic Party in Indiana sued the state over the new law, the Supreme Court ruled that the slight burden that the law imposed on voters’ rights did not outweigh the state’s interest in preventing voter fraud. African American and Democrat residents of Georgia were concerned with how it would impact accessibility of key voters, as the poor, black, and elderly were less likely to have photo identification.
Now, there are 36 states that request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls. 14 states and Washington, D.C., don’t require any documentation to vote.
Stances on Voter Identification Laws
The Republican stance on voter ID laws tends to be more supportive. Polling shows that 93% of Republicans favor requiring all voters to show government-issued photo identification to vote. Republicans (81%) are also significantly more likely than Democrats (30%) to strongly favor photo identification requirements for voting. Republicans strongly believe that voters should bring photo identification to voting booths.
The Democratic stance on voter ID laws is generally more opposed. The same poll from above reveals that only 61% of Democrats believe that all voters should show a photo identification to vote. Some Democrats, however, have become more conservative on the issue. Democratic Representative James Clyburn from South Carolina says that Democrats as a whole do not oppose voter identification laws. Despite this, Democrats are still more likely to oppose strict voter identification laws, such as requiring voters to provide identification.
For instance, the H.R. bill 22, introduced in January 2025, is a voter identification bill named the Safeguard Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE). The bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The bill passed in the House by the 119th Congress with a vote of 220-208. Five members did not vote on the bill. The current 119th Congress is composed of 219 Republicans, 212 Democrats, and zero members from other parties, with four recent vacancies. 216 Republicans voted Yea, zero voted Nay, and four didn’t vote. On the other hand, 208 Democrats voted Nay, four voted Yea, and one didn’t vote. As shown by the H.R. 22 vote, voter identification is a partisan topic, with most Democrats opposing voter ID laws and most Republicans supporting them.
Pros and Cons of Voter ID Laws
Arguments for voter ID laws surround reducing voter fraud, such as impersonating another registered voter. Supporters argue that it doesn’t decrease minority voter turnout and prevents noncitizens from voting. They argue that voter ID laws don’t suppress anyone’s vote, and that African Americans and Hispanics were just as likely to vote in states requiring photo identification as in those that don’t. Supporters also emphasize that most Americans (80%) support requiring voters to show photo identification at polling sites.
Arguments against voter ID laws concern decreasing voter turnout and the fact that voter identification laws tend to target minorities. Voters who these laws usually affect are disproportionately low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The ACLU stated that over 21 million Americans lack government-issued photo identification and that obtaining an ID costs money, which some people may not be able to afford. Opponents of voter ID also argue that voter fraud is rare – only 0.00004% of all ballots cast were the result of in-person voter impersonation.
The Future of Voter Identification Laws
Voter identification laws are expected to continue or become stricter, as 17 states have passed new or stricter ID laws since the 2020 elections. A Republican-controlled government is more likely to pass legislation increasing ID laws than a Democratic one, which puts certain minorities in Republican and red states at risk.
36 states currently request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls. 14 states and Washington, D.C., don’t require any documentation to vote. States that have strict photo identification laws include Alabama, Kansas, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia, and New Hampshire. Most of these states were red in the last presidential election. States that don’t require any documentation to vote are California, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, and Maine. Most of these states were blue in the last presidential election. The partisan split of these states indicates that voter identification laws are a highly partisan issue, and people in one party generally agree with each other on this issue.
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