Election Integrity and Access
We are committed to ensuring that everyone eligible to vote is able to exercise their right to vote. Our election system, like the rest of our government, must be open, accessible, and fair.
Don't sign away our neighbor's right to vote.
The problem with photo ID requirements
Proposals to require government-issued photo identification from registered voters surface every year at the Legislature. Efforts to implement this policy have now moved to the city level. Petitions are being circulated in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth that would require already registered voters to show a valid government-issued photo identification before they would be given their ballot. This would apply to those cities' elections only and it would not apply to absentee ballots.
On the surface, this appears to be a reasonable proposal. You do not have to dig too deeply, however, find the problems with photo ID requirements. Minnesota has a long history of clean elections because of strong election laws already on the books.
Photo ID will not improve our elections. It will only turn eligible voters away.
In the news:
Photo ID raises costs and burdens to solve a voting problem Minnesota doesn't have, by Keesha Gaskins, Pioneer Press
The Problems with Photo ID Requirements
The Problems with Photo ID Requirements
Photo ID Will Not Improve Election Integrity
Allegations of voter fraud usually get big headlines. What does not get headlines is the fact that nearly all allegations of voter fraud turn out to be clerical errors, data matching mistakes, or misunderstandings.
In reality, voter fraud is extremely rare.
- There are no known cases of voter impersonation in Minnesota. This is the fraud that photo ID could prevent.
- In the 2008 U.S. Senate election recount, lawyers for both candidates looked for fraud in the election. They found none.
- Creating different requirements for city elections will lead to confusion, not integrity.
- Our system has many checks and balances in place that ensure integrity in the system. Most voters do not see the behind-the-scenes processes and procedures that make sure that the names of voters that appear on the voting rosters are legitimate.
- Voting fraud is a felony. Anyone who votes illegally could be fined up to $10,000 and receive up to 5 years in jail.
The Truth About Voter Fraud, Brennan Center for Justice
The Politics of Voter Fraud, by Lorraine C. Minnite, Ph.D.
The Myth of Voter Fraud, MinnPost
Many eligible voters do not have a photo ID
For many people, producing an ID is as simple as reaching into our wallet. But for many Americans, it is not so simple.
People who do not drive, people who have disabilities or health problems, people who move often and have frequent changes of address all may not be able to comply with a photo ID requirement and be denied their ballot.
- Approximately 18% of older Americans do not have a valid state-issued ID. They may also have trouble getting to a government service center to obtain one.
- 10% of people with disabilities do not have photo ID that would allow them to vote. Many of these citizens have significant barriers to getting a photo ID.
- Many students attending Minnesota colleges and universities do not have ID for their school address, where many of them vote. This requirement will make it more difficult and confusing for students to vote.
Voter ID, Brennan Center for Justice
Citizens Without Proof, Brennan Center for Justice
Restrictive Voter Identification Requirements, Project Vote
Photo ID Requirements are an Unnecessary Expense
If you don’t have a photo ID, it takes time, money - and other ID - to meet the proposal’s requirement. Furthermore, the petition says that people who cannot afford a photo ID would be able to get one at no cost. There are, however, many hidden costs.
- Elderly citizens and voters with disabilities who do not drive may have difficulty getting to government offices to obtain a photo ID.
- The supporting documents for getting an ID card – birth certificate, marriage licenses, etc. – can be costly and time-consuming to track down.
- The cost of providing photo ID to those who cannot afford one will be paid by the city and, ultimately, the taxpayer. This additional expense would provide no benefit to the community and can hurt many.
Supporters of photo ID cite other occassions where we are asked to show an identification. Voting, however, is not the same as a commercial transaction. Writing a check, renting a movie, or boarding an airplane are not rights guaranteed by the constitution.
There is a very high standard that must be met before the government puts a barrier in place to limit a citizen's right to exercise their constitutional rights. That standard has not been met in the case of photo ID.
Photo IDs for registered voters fix no problems, but cause many.
League of Women Voters Minnesota is a member of the Voting Rights Coalition, a diverse group of organizations concerned about accessibility and fairness in our elections.