Can Voter ID Laws Be Administered in a Race-Neutral Manner? Evidence from the City of Boston in 2008

Abstract

We use "race" as a shorthand for both race and ethnicity.

Who Asks For Voter Identification? Explaining Poll-Worker Discretion

“…Furthermore, there is some research that finds that voter confidence can influence turnout (Alvarez, Hall, and Llewellyn 2008;Kerevel 2009), suggesting that pollworker discretion can have substantial consequences for voters. Second, previous research has suggested certain groups of voters may be disproportionately impacted by poll-worker discretion in the application of voter identification laws (Ansolabehere 2009;Cobb et al 2012;Page and Pitts 2009). If poll workers can use their discretion to discriminate against particular voters, as feared by Page and Pitts (2009), policy makers may wish to consider election reforms that restrict the ability of poll workers to use their own discretion in deciding what type of identification to accept from voters.…”

“…Recent voter studies in New Mexico in 2006 and 2008 found significant variation in the application of identification requirements; Hispanic, male, and Election Day voters were more likely to be asked for photo identification when none was required (Alvarez, Atkeson, and Hall 2013;Atkeson, Alvarez, and Hall 2010;). Other state and national studies showed minorities, both blacks and Hispanics, were more likely than whites to report showing identification (Ansolabehere 2009;Cobb et al 2012). In addition, an observational study in Los Angeles found that 29% of poll workers incorrectly indicated to observers that it was the law in California to show photo identification, and a significantly greater percentage of poll workers who worked in precincts with higher concentrations of minorities made such claims (Barreto, Cohen-Marks, and Woods 2009).…”

“…The results of several studies have found that Hispanic and African American voters were asked to show physical forms of identification more than nonHispanic whites Ansolabehere 2009;Atkeson, Alvarez, and Hall 2010;Cobb et al 2012). As the race or ethnicity of voters has been shown to be key in the application of voter identification requirements, it is also possible the race of poll workers influences how they implement the law.…”

“…1 Currently, about 29 states require some identification process, with 12 states requiring photo identification. Studies of poll-worker discretion find voter ID laws are often not administered equally across racial and gender groups, but existing literature has not clearly explained why voter ID laws are inconsistently applied (Ansolabehere 2009;Cobb et al 2012), which is the concern of this study.…”

Accumulating Evidence of the Impact of Voter ID Laws: Student Engagement in the Political Process

“…We have identified only one other published study (Cobb et al 2012) similar to ours. It was carried out during the general election of 2008 in Boston to examine whether there were discrepancies by race and ethnicity in the proportion of voters asked to show ID at their polling place.…”