Broad Support

The public widely supports voter ID laws:

 

• A nationwide University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll released in April 2021 reported that 67% of voters supported requirements to have all voters show ID with roughly a majority of voters expressing strong for this requirement.

 

• A Fox News poll in April 2021 showed 77% of voters nationally think “a valid form of state or federally issued photo identification to prove U.S. citizenship” should be needed for voting.

 

• A YouGov/The Economist poll in April 2021 found that 52% of Americans support requiring a photo ID in order to vote absentee with only 31% opposed.  

 

• In March 2021, a national poll by Selzer & Co./Grinnell College showed 56% of adults favored keeping laws that require people to show a photo ID before voting, while just 36% wanted to eliminate them.

 

• An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in March 2021 found that nearly three-quarters of all Americans — including majorities of both parties — said they support laws requiring voters to present photo identification.

 

• In March 2021, a study conducted by Rasmussen Reports revealed that 75% of voters believe photo identification should be presented before voting and that 69% of black voters support voter ID laws.  Furthermore, the poll revealed that 60% of Democrats support showing an ID to vote as do 89% of Republicans.  The polling showed that only 21% oppose voter ID laws.

 

• Tufts Public Opinion Lab released a report in March 2021 showing 7 in 10 Americans support strict voter ID laws; including 90% of Republicans, 50% of Democrats, 70% of White respondents, 66% of Hispanic respondents, and 56% of Black respondents.

 

• A January 2021 poll by the University of Georgia and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that 74% of registered voters backed requiring voters to include a copy of their photo ID or other documentation in order to vote by mail with only 22% opposing.

 

• Conducted between August and November 2020, the results of a poll from the American National Election Studies showed that 68% of Americans support strict voter ID laws, 19% opposed such laws, and the remaining 13% were neutral on the issue.

 

• In August 2019, the nonpartisan Texas Lyceum found 81% of Texans, including 72% of Democrats, favor a law that requires voters to present one of seven government-based photo IDs or bring utility bills, bank statements or paychecks and sign an affidavit saying they had trouble getting an accepted ID.

 

• A survey by Pew Research prior to the 2018 Election discovered 76% of Americans favored requiring government-issued photo identification to vote. Ninety-one percent of Republicans and 63% of Democrats supported a photo ID requirement.

 

• In a September 2018 survey, Rasmussen Reports found that 67% of likely U.S. voters think voters should be required to show photo identification before voting.

 

• In August 2017, Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey found that 70% of likely U.S. voters support requiring photo identification before being allowed to vote.

 

• In an August 2016 poll by Gallup, 80% of Americans supported a requirement that all voters show photo identification before voting, including 95% of Republicans, 63% of Democrats, and 83% of independents.

 

• In a March 2016 poll by Rasmussen Reports, 69% of Americans believed voters should be required to show photo identification prior to voting.

 

• In a 2012 poll by The Washington Post, 74% of Americans supported laws requiring photo identification at the polls.  In addition, Americans were more concerned about the potential for voter fraud than the potential for voter suppression.

 

• In 2013, 65% of New Hampshire citizens surveyed by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center supported voter ID, including 85% of Republicans, 76% of independents, and 42% of Democrats.

 

 

Published opinions supporting voter ID laws:

• Op-Ed: Why we Black leaders support voter ID laws (U.S. Reps. Burgess Owens, et. al in the Center Square, April 18, 2021)

 

• Claiming state voting reforms are racist is ridiculous. I should know: Ken Blackwell (Ken Blackwell in USA Today, April 8, 2021)

 

• Americans Support Voter ID Laws – The Arizona Legislature Should Too by Passing SB1713 (Admin for Arizona Free Enterprise Club, March 23, 2021)

 

• The Voter Suppression Myth (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, May 3, 2019)

 

• Data Disprove the ‘Voter Suppression’ Myth (Jason L. Riley in The Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2019)

 

• I’m a black Democrat and I backed GOP’s voter ID (Op-ed by NC State Senator Joel Ford in The Charlotte Observer, December 5, 2018)

 

• Voter ID would prevent fraud (Op-ed by Steven Pinson in The Baltimore Sun, March 2, 2018)

 

• Voting important enough to require identification (Charleston Gazette-Mail editorial, updated November 21, 2017)

 

• Voter ID: Nothing wrong with W.Va. bill (Bluefield Daily Telegraph editorial, February 23, 2016)

 

• True Intent of Voter ID Laws: Common Sense (Guest Columnist Jay Ashcroft in The Missouri Times, February 22, 2016)

 

• The voter fraud too many deny (Op-ed by Jay Delancy in The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), February 18, 2016)

 

• A bad day for voter ID opponents (Christian Schneider of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 17, 2016)

 

• Voting important enough to require identification (Charleston Gazette-Mail editorial, February 12, 2016)

 

[Last updated June 16, 2021]