On April 4, 1968, the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was cut short, ended by an assassin¹s bullet in Memphis, Tennessee. Though Dr. King was struck down in his prime, his legacy did not end along with life—it has grown to influence and inspire generations of Americans. Born the son of a reverend in Atlanta, Georgia, his memorial now rests in the heart of our democracy on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Today, 56 years later, let us honor Dr. King with faith that the arc of history bends toward justice, and with the good work necessary to move our national democracy closer to his vision of equality.

Dr. King was one of countless men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives to ensure that all Americans can register to vote, cast a ballot free of intimidation and safe from violence, and have that vote counted regardless of the color of their skin. Dr. King spoke for all these men and women when he called on our nation to "Give us the ballot." Awakening our country's conscience, they overcame incredible barriers to voting rights.

But now that we have the ballot, we've got to use it.

Right now, all of us can continue the work of Dr. King and all the fallen heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Far too many Americans remain unregistered to vote. The sacrifices of the past have given us a voice today—we must use it. Go to www.gottaregister.com right now to register to vote or to update your voter registration.

Dr. King's legacy was never just about our own participation; we must also call out to all our American brothers and sisters and ask their voices to join with ours. Think of five friends who might not be registered to vote, and send them to Gotta Register. It's up to us to help register our fellow citizens to vote, and encourage all Americans to participate in our hard-won political freedom.

The struggle and sacrifice of Dr. King and all our civil rights patriots gave way to the rebirth of our nation. It is our responsibility to use that freedom, to continue their work, and to honor their sacrifice with a monument of action all our own.

On April 4, 1968, the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was cut short, ended by an assassin¹s bullet in Memphis, Tennessee. Though Dr. King was struck down in his prime, his legacy did not end along with life—it has grown to influence and inspire generations of Americans. Born the son of a reverend in Atlanta, Georgia, his memorial now rests in the heart of our democracy on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Today, 56 years later, let us honor Dr. King with faith that the arc of history bends toward justice, and with the good work necessary to move our national democracy closer to his vision of equality.

Dr. King was one of countless men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives to ensure that all Americans can register to vote, cast a ballot free of intimidation and safe from violence, and have that vote counted regardless of the color of their skin. Dr. King spoke for all these men and women when he called on our nation to "Give us the ballot." Awakening our country's conscience, they overcame incredible barriers to voting rights.

But now that we have the ballot, we've got to use it.

Right now, all of us can continue the work of Dr. King and all the fallen heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Far too many Americans remain unregistered to vote. The sacrifices of the past have given us a voice today—we must use it. Go to www.gottaregister.com right now to register to vote or to update your voter registration.

Dr. King's legacy was never just about our own participation; we must also call out to all our American brothers and sisters and ask their voices to join with ours. Think of five friends who might not be registered to vote, and send them to Gotta Register. It's up to us to help register our fellow citizens to vote, and encourage all Americans to participate in our hard-won political freedom.

The struggle and sacrifice of Dr. King and all our civil rights patriots gave way to the rebirth of our nation. It is our responsibility to use that freedom, to continue their work, and to honor their sacrifice with a monument of action all our own.

“Doctor, the Lord knew I lived in a hard town, so he gave me a hard head."

Those words were spoken by the Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth in 1957 after members of the Ku Klux Klan brutally attacked him for enrolling his children in an all-white school. It was one of many violent attempts to silence the voice of this legendary civil rights leader; none were successful.On Wednesday, October 5, 2011, Rev. Shuttlesworth passed away at the age of 89 in Birmingham, Alabama.

With physical courage surpassed only by his commitment to justice, Shuttlesworth served as the leader of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, helped organize the Freedom Rides, and was one of the four founding ministers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was the leading advocate for equality in Birmingham and organized his city’s historic two weeks of protest in 1963. Standing up to Bull Connor’s fire hoses and attack dogs, Shuttlesworth led thousands of men, women, and children in nonviolent demonstrations against racial oppression. After television cameras captured days of constant violence against the protesters, Americans across the country witnessed the injustice of segregation directly.

Following Birmingham, Shuttlesworth was a major organizer of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. His leadership on the ground in the South directly contributed to passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Born into poverty in Mount Meigs, Alabama, Shuttlesworth made his living as a truck driver before answering his spiritual vocation and taking up the causes of social justice and racial equality. He first became pastor of Birmingham’s Bethel Baptist Church in 1953 and continued to preach in Cincinnati, Ohio, until moving back to Alabama in 2008.

Throughout his life, Shuttlesworth pursued justice with an unparalleled fire, raising up his congregations and his country with a righteous voice and a soul willing to sacrifice it all. Today, the Democratic National Committee honors Rev. Shuttlesworth and remembers the life of a great American.

In yesterday's Washington Post, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach published an op-ed that argued for unnecessary and suppressive photo ID laws. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times false claims about the new photo ID laws are refuted, Republican policymakers continue to introduce them.
 
Yesterday wasn't Kobach's first attempt at making this case -- he waged essentially the same faulty argument  in a June op-ed as well. Just as he did last month, Kobach yesterday purported the same unsupportable allegations about voter fraud as the basis for passing laws that will disenfranchise millions of Americans – and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
 
In June, however, the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice challenged Kobach’s assertions -- the same claims he made yesterday -- demonstrating that the myths Kobach continues to perpetuate are built on flawed reasoning and baseless allegations.

Here is the first claim debunked by the Brennan Center:  

Claim 1: Kobach wrongly takes issue with a 2006 Brennan Center study showing 11% of American citizens do not possess government issued photo ID.

In 2006, the Brennan Center published the results of a telephone survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation (ORC), an independent market research firm, on the number of voting-age Americans who have government-issued photo ID and proof of citizenship. 11% of all respondents to that survey did not have ready access to government-issued photo ID; the percentages of those without ID were even higher for certain demographic groups. Kobach summarily dismisses the hard numbers without offering any reason to doubt the Brennan Center and ORC findings, other than that he finds them “implausible.” ORC is a respected, global provider of market research, providing polling and research to CNN, among many other partners and clients. Mr. Kobach’s intuition is not a substitute for sound research.

You can read the Brennan Center’s piece here.

It's also worth noting that Kobach was a co-author of the controversial and discriminatory Arizona law, SB 1070.

Yesterday, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch vetoed a bill that would have required voters to show photo ID before casting a ballot, saying that it would discourage people from voting and that no evidence of voter fraud exists in the state.

The New Hampshire bill mirrors a similar bill pushed by Republicans in North Carolina, which was also vetoed by the governor. At least 30 other Republican-controlled states are also pushing voter-ID legislation.

Following his veto yesterday, Governor Lynch released a statement attesting to the basic right to vote and citing no need for a photo ID law:

The right to vote is a fundamental right that is guaranteed to all citizens of this State under the United States and New Hampshire Constitutions. An eligible voter who goes to the polls to vote on Election Day should be able to have his or her vote count on Election Day. SB 129 creates a real risk that New Hampshire voters will be denied their right to vote.

Voter turnout in New Hampshire is among the highest in the nation, election after election. There is no voter fraud problem in New Hampshire. We already have strong elections laws that are effective in regulating our elections.

Also, check out the report released by our Voting Rights Institute about the real cost of voter-suppression laws on states.

Last week, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue vetoed a state law that would make it harder for citizens to vote. This extreme legislation, pushed by the state’s Republican legislators, would have suppressed voting rights for thousands of North Carolinians.

Following the decision, Democratic Governor Perdue released this statement:

The right to choose our leaders is among the most precious freedoms we have--both as Americans and North Carolinians. North Carolinians who are eligible to vote have a constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their ballots, and no one should put up obstacles to citizens exercising that right.

We must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our elections.

But requiring every voter to present a government-issued photo ID is not the way to do it. This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters. The legislature should pass a less extreme bill that allows for other forms of identification, such as those permitted under federal law.

There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all. That time is past, and we should not revisit it.

Therefore, I veto this bill.

Similar laws have been proposed or passed in more than 30 other Republican-controlled states with the latest battles coming to a head in New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Even beyond the blatant dismissal of individual rights, the voter-ID laws being proposed by Republican lawmakers will cost states millions. Our Voting Rights Institute released a report about the cost of these voter-suppression laws.

Also, learn more about the North Carolina governor's veto here.

Last week, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue vetoed a bill that would make it harder for citizens to vote. This extreme legislation, pushed by the state’s Republican legislators, would have suppressed voting rights for thousands of North Carolinians.

Following the decision, Democratic Governor Perdue released this statement:

The right to choose our leaders is among the most precious freedoms we have--both as Americans and North Carolinians. North Carolinians who are eligible to vote have a constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their ballots, and no one should put up obstacles to citizens exercising that right.

We must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our elections.

But requiring every voter to present a government-issued photo ID is not the way to do it. This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters. The legislature should pass a less extreme bill that allows for other forms of identification, such as those permitted under federal law.

There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all. That time is past, and we should not revisit it.

Therefore, I veto this bill.

Similar laws have been proposed or passed in more than 30 other Republican-controlled states with the latest battles coming to a head in New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Even beyond the blatant dismissal of individual rights, the voter-ID laws being proposed by Republican lawmakers will cost states millions. Our Voting Rights Institute released a report about the cost of these voter-suppression laws.

Also, learn more about the North Carolina governor's veto here.

Yesterday in an Atlanta courthouse, a coalition of voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against the state of Georgia. 

They argue that the state has violated National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 -- and in doing so, has already disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters.

The NVRA requires that state offices that offer public assistance provide people seeking services with a voter-registration application and offer help to anyone who needs it. This law is designed to protect the voting rights of low-income and disabled citizens by ensuring that opportunities to register are available to those who would otherwise not readily have access to a voter registration application.

The voting rights coalition specifically alleges that Brian Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State and chief elections official, and Clyde L. Reese, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, both violated the NVRA by failing to ensure that voter registration services are made available to those seeking help from state public assistance offices.  Their failure to comply with the federal law has resulted in thousands of low-income citizens not being given the opportunity to register to vote and thousands of eligible voters remain unregistered today.

“Georgia public officials must take seriously their legal responsibility to provide voter registration services to the State’s public assistance clients,” said Bob Kengle, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project, one of the organizations that filed suit. “Congress required that public assistance offices serve as voter registration agencies to ensure that low income persons, who historically have been disenfranchised, are given a periodic opportunity to register to vote or update their existing voter registration.”

We know from other states that many citizens rely upon these government offices for access to registration forms and information. 

In recent years, in places like Missouri, Virginia, and North Carolina voter registration through public assistance offices rose dramatically after the filing of complaints similar to the one filed in Georgia yesterday.

For example, in North Carolina more than 80,000 low-income citizens applied for voter registration at government agencies in the first two years after voting-rights advocates worked with state officials to improve NVRA implementation -- almost eight times as many as applied in the previous two-year period.

The suit filed against the state of Georgia can be found here.

Yesterday in an Atlanta courthouse, a coalition of voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against the state of Georgia. 

They argue that the state has violated National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 -- and in doing so, has already disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters.

The NVRA requires that state offices that offer public assistance provide people seeking services with a voter-registration application and offer help to anyone who needs it. This law is designed to protect the voting rights of low-income and disabled citizens by ensuring that opportunities to register are available to those who would otherwise not readily have access to a voter registration application.

The voting rights coalition specifically alleges that Brian Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State and chief elections official, and Clyde L. Reese, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, both violated the NVRA by failing to ensure that voter registration services are made available to those seeking help from state public assistance offices.  Their failure to comply with the federal law has resulted in thousands of low-income citizens not being given the opportunity to register to vote and thousands of eligible voters remain unregistered today.

“Georgia public officials must take seriously their legal responsibility to provide voter registration services to the State’s public assistance clients,” said Bob Kengle, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project, one of the organizations that filed suit. “Congress required that public assistance offices serve as voter registration agencies to ensure that low income persons, who historically have been disenfranchised, are given a periodic opportunity to register to vote or update their existing voter registration.”

We know from other states that many citizens rely upon these government offices for access to registration forms and information. 

In recent years, in places like Missouri, Virginia, and North Carolina voter registration through public assistance offices rose dramatically after the filing of complaints similar to the one filed in Georgia yesterday.

For example, in North Carolina more than 80,000 low-income citizens applied for voter registration at government agencies in the first two years after voting-rights advocates worked with state officials to improve NVRA implementation -- almost eight times as many as applied in the previous two-year period.

The suit filed against the state of Georgia can be found here.

Yesterday in an Atlanta courthouse, a coalition of voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against the state of Georgia. 

They argue that the state has violated National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 -- and in doing so, has already disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters.

The NVRA requires that state offices that offer public assistance to people seeking services with a voter-registration application and offer help to anyone who needs it. This law is designed to protect the voting rights of low-income and disabled citizens by ensuring that opportunities to register are available to those who would otherwise not readily have access to a voter registration application.

The voting rights coalition specifically alleges that Brian Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State and chief elections official, and Clyde L. Reese, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, both violated the NVRA by failing to ensure that voter registration services are made available to those seeking help from state public assistance offices.  Their failure to comply with the federal law thousands of low-income citizens have not been given the opportunity to register to vote and thousands of eligible voters remain unregistered today.

“Georgia public officials must take seriously their legal responsibility to provide voter registration services to the State’s public assistance clients,” said Bob Kengle, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project, one of the organizations that filed suit. “Congress required that public assistance offices serve as voter registration agencies to ensure that low income persons, who historically have been disenfranchised, are given a periodic opportunity to register to vote or update their existing voter registration.”

We know from other states that many citizens rely upon these government offices for access to registration forms and information. 

In recent years, in places like Missouri, Virginia, and North Carolina voter registration through public assistance offices rose dramatically after the filing of complaints similar to the one filed in Georgia yesterday.

For example, in North Carolina more than 80,000 low-income citizens applied for voter registration at government agencies in the first two years after voting-rights advocates worked with state officials to improve NVRA implementation -- almost eight times as many as applied in the previous two-year period.

The suit filed against the state of Georgia can be found here.

In states across America, Republican governors and legislators are pushing photo ID laws that suppress and disenfranchise voters. In addition to being unfair and unnecessary, these laws would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. The DNC Voting Rights Institute studied the legislation in all 36 states – they concluded the total cost of implementing these laws would be at least $276 million, and possibly as much as $828 million, in the first four years.

At a time when states are experiencing huge budget shortfalls, it would be an enormous waste to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to disenfranchise voters.

Through a new online resource, you can learn more about the findings of the DNC Voting Rights Institute and download the report. Also on the page, you can view a map that shows the cost in each of the 36 states considering photo ID measures.

Click here to learn the real cost of photo ID laws.

In USA Today this week, Donna Brazile, DNC vice chair of Voter Registration & Participation, calls out Republican lawmakers for their efforts to push election laws that will cost taxpayers millions -- and disenfranchise countless voters. She writes:

Across America, Republican lawmakers have talked a big game about cutting budgets, but they also are seeking reductions to something much more fundamental: Americans' voting rights. From coast to coast, the GOP is engaged in what appears to be a coordinated, expensive effort to block voters from the polls… In more than 30 states, GOP legislators are on the move, from a sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws to new rules for photo identification in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and more than 20 other states.

The DNC Voting Rights Institute today released a report highlighting the burdensome cost states would incur implementing photo ID laws. The report found that not only has the underlying argument in support of such laws been found to be completely baseless, but states can ill afford the extraordinary costs of their implementation. You can read the report, The Real Cost of Photo ID, here.

The consequences of these laws can’t be overstated. As Brazile writes of photo ID laws, 11 percent of Americans – more than 21 million citizens of voting age – don’t have the type of ID they would be required to present before voting. And, she notes, those without photo identification are disproportionately low-income, minority voters, young voters, older voters and the disabled. 

Brazile also highlights the fiscal impact of photo ID – and writes that Republican legislators have ignored their high cost. Indiana spent more than $10 million dollars in the first four fiscal years of implementation, to provide free ID cards – just one of many costs associated with photo ID laws.

Brazile concludes:

…[T]hese voting hurdles won't improve the integrity of our elections, but they will change the face of the electorate….  In my career, I have felt the elation of a hard-fought, successful campaign and the crushing defeat of an equally grueling loss. I've learned that campaigns are about which side makes the more compelling case to the electorate. This is what makes our democracy great. What the GOP is attempting to do is change the rules of the game, leaving only their players on the field.

You can read the rest of Brazile’s article here.

In USA Today this week, Donna Brazile, DNC vice chair of Voter Registration & Participation, calls out Republican lawmakers for their efforts to push election laws that will cost taxpayers millions -- and disenfranchise countless voters. She writes:

Across America, Republican lawmakers have talked a big game about cutting budgets, but they also are seeking reductions to something much more fundamental: Americans' voting rights. From coast to coast, the GOP is engaged in what appears to be a coordinated, expensive effort to block voters from the polls… In more than 30 states, GOP legislators are on the move, from a sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws to new rules for photo identification in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and more than 20 other states.

The DNC Voting Rights Institute today released a report highlighting the burdensome cost states would incur implementing photo ID laws. The report found that not only has the underlying argument in support of such laws been found to be completely baseless, but states can ill afford the extraordinary costs of their implementation. You can read the report, The Real Cost of Photo ID, here.

The consequences of these laws can’t be overstated. As Brazile writes of photo ID laws, 11 percent of Americans – more than 21 million citizens of voting age – don’t have the type of ID they would be required to present before voting. And, she notes, those without photo identification are disproportionately low-income, minority voters, young voters, older voters and the disabled. 

Brazile also highlights the fiscal impact of photo ID – and writes that Republican legislators have ignored their high cost. Indiana spent more than $10 million dollars in the first four fiscal years of implementation, to provide free ID cards – just one of many costs associated with photo ID laws.

Brazile concludes:

…[T]hese voting hurdles won't improve the integrity of our elections, but they will change the face of the electorate….  In my career, I have felt the elation of a hard-fought, successful campaign and the crushing defeat of an equally grueling loss. I've learned that campaigns are about which side makes the more compelling case to the electorate. This is what makes our democracy great. What the GOP is attempting to do is change the rules of the game, leaving only their players on the field.

You can read the rest of Brazile’s article here.

In USA Today this week, Donna Brazile, DNC Vice Chair of Voter Registration & Participation, calls out Republican lawmakers for their efforts to push election laws that will cost taxpayers millions -- and disenfranchise countless voters. She writes:

Across America, Republican lawmakers have talked a big game about cutting budgets, but they also are seeking reductions to something much more fundamental: Americans' voting rights. From coast to coast, the GOP is engaged in what appears to be a coordinated, expensive effort to block voters from the polls… In more than 30 states, GOP legislators are on the move, from a sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws to new rules for photo identification in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and more than 20 other states.

The DNC Voting Rights Institute today released a report highlighting the burdensome cost states would incur implementing photo ID laws. The report found that not only has the underlying argument in support of such laws been found to be completely baseless, but states can ill afford the extraordinary costs of their implementation. You can read the report, The Real Cost of Photo ID, here.

The consequences of these laws can’t be overstated. As Brazile writes of photo ID laws, 11 percent of Americans – more than 21 million citizens of voting age – don’t have the type of ID they would be required to present before voting. And, she notes, those without photo identification are disproportionately low-income, minority voters, young voters, older voters and the disabled. 

Brazile also highlights the fiscal impact of photo ID – and writes that Republican legislators have ignored their high cost. Indiana spent more than $10 million dollars in the first four fiscal years of implementation, to provide free ID cards – just one of many costs associated with photo ID laws.

Brazile concludes:

…[T]hese voting hurdles won't improve the integrity of our elections, but they will change the face of the electorate….  In my career, I have felt the elation of a hard-fought, successful campaign and the crushing defeat of an equally grueling loss. I've learned that campaigns are about which side makes the more compelling case to the electorate. This is what makes our democracy great. What the GOP is attempting to do is change the rules of the game, leaving only their players on the field.

You can read the rest of Brazile’s article here.

In USA Today this week, Donna Brazile, DNC Vice Chair of Voter Registration & Participation, calls out Republican lawmakers for their efforts to push election laws that will cost taxpayers millions -- and disenfranchise countless voters.  She writes:

"Across America, Republican lawmakers have talked a big game about cutting budgets, but they also are seeking reductions to something much more fundamental: Americans' voting rights. From coast to coast, the GOP is engaged in what appears to be a coordinated, expensive effort to block voters from the polls… In more than 30 states, GOP legislators are on the move, from a sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws to new rules for photo identification in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and more than 20 other states.”

The DNC Voting Rights Institute today released a report highlighting the burdensome cost states would incur implementing photo ID laws.  The report found that not only has the underlying argument in support of such laws been found to be completely baseless, but states can ill afford the extraordinary costs of their implementation.  You can read the report, The Real Cost of Photo ID, here.

The consequences of these laws can’t be overstated.  As Brazile writes of photo ID laws, 11% of Americans – more than 21 million citizens of voting age – don’t have the type of ID they would be required to present before voting.  And, she notes, those without photo identification are disproportionately low-income, minority voters, young voters, older voters and the disabled. 

Brazile also highlights the fiscal impact of photo ID – and writes that Republican legislators have ignored their high cost.  Indiana spent more than $10 million dollars in the first four fiscal years of implementation, to provide free ID cards – just one of many costs associated with photo ID laws.

Brazile concludes:

“…[T]hese voting hurdles won't improve the integrity of our elections, but they will change the face of the electorate….  In my career, I have felt the elation of a hard-fought, successful campaign and the crushing defeat of an equally grueling loss. I've learned that campaigns are about which side makes the more compelling case to the electorate. This is what makes our democracy great. What the GOP is attempting to do is change the rules of the game, leaving only their players on the field.”

You can read the rest of Brazile’s article here.

In USA Today this week, Donna Brazile, DNC Vice Chair of Voter Registration & Participation, calls out Republican lawmakers for their efforts to push election laws that will cost taxpayers millions -- and disenfranchise countless voters.  She writes:

"Across America, Republican lawmakers have talked a big game about cutting budgets, but they also are seeking reductions to something much more fundamental: Americans' voting rights. From coast to coast, the GOP is engaged in what appears to be a coordinated, expensive effort to block voters from the polls… In more than 30 states, GOP legislators are on the move, from a sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws to new rules for photo identification in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and more than 20 other states.”

The DNC Voting Rights Institute today released a report highlighting the burdensome cost states would incur implementing photo ID laws.  The report found that not only has the underlying argument in support of such laws been found to be completely baseless, but states can ill afford the extraordinary costs of their implementation.  You can read the report, The Real Cost of Photo ID, here.

The consequences of these laws can’t be overstated.  As Brazile writes of photo ID laws, 11% of Americans – more than 21 million citizens of voting age – don’t have the type of ID they would be required to present before voting.  And, she notes, those without photo identification are disproportionately low-income, minority voters, young voters, older voters and the disabled. 

Brazile also highlights the fiscal impact of photo ID – and writes that Republican legislators have ignored their high cost.  Indiana spent more than $10 million dollars in the first four fiscal years of implementation, to provide free ID cards – just one of many costs associated with photo ID laws.

Brazile concludes:

“…[T]hese voting hurdles won't improve the integrity of our elections, but they will change the face of the electorate….  In my career, I have felt the elation of a hard-fought, successful campaign and the crushing defeat of an equally grueling loss. I've learned that campaigns are about which side makes the more compelling case to the electorate. This is what makes our democracy great. What the GOP is attempting to do is change the rules of the game, leaving only their players on the field.”

You can read the rest of Brazile’s article here.

Across the country, Republican legislators are pushing unnecessary and suppressive photo identification laws that would require all voters to produce a specific, current government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot. 

The suppressive effects of these bills are well-documented: 11% of Americans — more than 21 million citizens of voting age – lack proper photo identification and, as a result, could be turned away from the polls on Election Day.  Those without photo ID are disproportionately disabled, low-income, minority, young and older voters.  Numerous non-partisan organizations have debunked claims of widespread voter fraud – the purported basis for these laws. 

The DNC’s Voting Rights Institute has studied the impact of photo ID laws using the actual costs incurred in Indiana and Georgia – the two states that have implemented photo ID – and fiscal estimates from 17 states where photo ID was introduced this year.  We have concluded that if each of these 36 states enacts a photo ID law, they collectively will incur costs of at least $276 million, and possibly as much as $828 million in the first four fiscal years. 

At a time when states are experiencing budget shortfalls in the millions and even billions of dollars, costly and suppressive photo ID mandates are simply unjustifiable. 

You can read the full report, The Real Cost of Photo ID: An Unnecessary, Expensive, and Intrusive Voter Restriction in a Time of Fiscal Crisis, here.

Acknowledgments

The Voting Rights Institute would like to acknowledge Pat McNally, Voting Rights Institute Research Fellow, for his dedication to directing the research, analysis and composition of this report.  We are also extremely grateful to the DNC’s Technology and Targeting Departments for their continued assistance and collaboration.

Today on the Huffington Post, Donna Brazile, DNC interim chair and vice chair for voter registration and participation, highlights an important voting rights case that may soon be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court—one that raises some of the very same questions litigated in Bush v. Gore.

A little more than ten years ago, the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore used the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution to halt the counting of votes in Florida, effectively deciding the 2000 presidential election. In a dispute arising out of a local race for Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge, the Supreme Court may soon hear its first case decided under that precedent.

At issue in Hamilton County is the counting of provisional ballots, which Congress has mandated states make available so that no eligible voter is turned away from the ballot box. After last November’s election, the Hamilton County Elections Board agreed to count some provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct because the board determined that pollworker error was to blame and that the voters had done nothing wrong. But the board refused to investigate whether other provisional ballots had also been miscast as a result of pollworker error. Brazile writes:

Invoking the Bush v. Gore holding that similarly situated ballots must be treated equally (i.e., counted under the same rules), [Democratic candidate Tracie] Hunter sued in federal court. The district court ruled in Hunter's favor, and on appeal the Sixth Circuit agreed, ruling that the Equal Protection Clause prevented the Hamilton County Board of Elections from treating similar groups of provisional ballots in different ways, counting some and refusing to count others.

On Monday of this week, Republican candidate John Williams petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene in the case and to stay the counting.Tracie Hunter filed a response today. 

The implications of this dispute can’t be overstated. The provisional ballots the board rejected were more likely to have been cast in minority neighborhoods. And the case raises important questions about Equal Protection and basic fairness under the U.S. Constitution—not to mention about how the Court will treat its decision in Bush v. Gore. As Brazile writes:

Although the political stakes are different, this case has the potential to—once again—reshape whether votes are counted and how elections are conducted in the United States.

Read Brazile’s full post here.