More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact • Stateline

Nevada voters could decide in November whether to join three dozen other states in requiring voters to show a valid ID before voting. And Maine may not be far behind, as push for voter ID requirements grows nationwide despite conflicting studies about their effects.

Nevada conservative organizers say they have gathered enough signatures to put their measure on the general election ballot. It would amend the state constitution to require voters to show ID at polling places or include some form of identification — such as the last four digits of a driver’s license or a Social Security number — on mail-in ballots.

“We’ve seen over the last 20 years questions about who voted and whether there were fake ballots,” said David Gibbs, president of Repair the Vote PAC, a North Las Vegas-based group that is leading the voting initiative. “This is a way to bring people together. A lot of people are looking at it, and it makes sense.”

If the measure passes and voters approve it in November, they will have to vote again in 2026, as required by the state constitutional amendment.

Group proposing mandatory voter ID submits signatures to vote

The bill has a good chance of passing. According to a Fox News poll in June, 84 percent of registered voters in Nevada support a voter ID. Those results closely mirror the results of a national Pew Research Center poll in February, which found that 81 percent of American adults supported requiring a government-issued photo ID to vote.

Voting rights advocates cite research showing that such rules prevent many legitimate voters — particularly young Black and Latino voters — from accessing the ballot box. But supporters of voter ID laws point to other studies that suggest the rules have had a minimal effect on voter turnout, in part because Democrats often respond to them by ramping up their voter mobilization efforts.

For more than a decade, Republican lawmakers have been pushing for stricter voter ID laws. Thirty-six states require some form of ID to vote, though laws vary from state to state on what types of ID are accepted and what requirements apply to voting by mail, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

This list could grow longer.

In May, New Hampshire’s Republican legislature passed a measure that would require residents to prove their citizenship status to register to vote. Republican Governor Chris Sununu has not yet signed this law.

In Maine, conservative activists continue to collect signatures to put their voter ID measure on the November 2025 ballot. Maine does not require photo ID at polling places, and Democratic lawmakers are trying to maintain this situation, arguing that it could prevent residents who are less likely to have a driver’s license from being able to vote.

Voting rights organization highlights rise in Ohio provisional ballots rejected due to ID

Voting rights advocates say voter ID laws can create confusion at polling places and that states that implement them should do more to ensure equitable access to official ID cards.

“The more complicated we make it, the more obstacles we put in front of people, the more obstacles there are for people who are simply trying to participate in our democracy,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a progressive policy nonprofit.

The Brennan Center, in collaboration with the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement and voting rights organizations Public Wise and VoteRiders, released a survey in June that found that nearly 21 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have a current driver’s license.

The survey also found that more than a quarter of Black and Latino adults do not have a driver’s license with their name or current address — a higher figure than their white and Asian American counterparts. A significantly higher percentage of young people also do not have up-to-date identification documents, the report said.

Getting a current driver’s license takes time and costs money, which can be more difficult for people of lower socioeconomic status, Morales-Doyle said. And those who earn less tend to change addresses frequently, he added.

The survey also showed a significant gap in voters’ understanding of state voter ID laws: It found that more than half of Americans living in states that require ID to vote were unaware of their state’s laws. A March report from NBC News found that 29 million Americans live in states that have implemented a new voter ID law since 2020.

Recent elections in North Carolina and Ohio illustrate the impact: confusion over voter ID rules led to the rejection of provisional ballots.

VoteRiders is trying to increase awareness and knowledge of voter ID requirements through its on-the-ground efforts, a 24/7 hotline, as well as text messages, billboards and public service announcements.

The group has organizers in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin who visit college campuses, LGBTQ+ Pride events, health clinics and community resource fairs, providing information about those states’ voter ID laws. Each year, the group helps more than 10,000 people obtain IDs.

Although noncitizens can vote in some local elections, the Republican Party is moving hard to make it illegal

“One of the things that keeps me up at night is thinking about how the playing field has dramatically changed when it comes to voting since 2020,” said Lauren Kunis, CEO of the nonpartisan group. “I fear many people will be caught off guard in November when it comes to the issue of ID and other aspects of the voting process. »

In Nevada, Repair the Vote PAC collected more than 179,000 signatures statewide last week, using both volunteers and a company it hired to go door to door and stand in front of grocery stores and libraries. The state requires more than 102,000 valid signatures, including a certain number in every congressional district. State and local officials must now validate these signatures.

Gibbs, the group’s chairman, said the new ID requirement would not be a barrier to voting. He rejected the argument that voter ID measures would make it harder for people of color or low-income people to vote.

“You need a photo ID to get a job. You need a photo ID to open a bank account. You need a photo ID to do almost everything,” he told Stateline. “Personally, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have one, but at the same time, you can have one. »