[EL] in-person voter fraud Washington 2004 follow up

[Michael McDonald]

If there were a massive amount of voter fraud occurring that could be
prevented with photo id, wouldn't turnout rates go down following the
imposition of photo id? Yet, proponents often tout that turnout went up
following adoption of photo id. 

One might conclude that photo id works poorly in that it enables massive
fraud among those who use fake photo ids to bypass scrutiny by poll workers
placated by the false security of being presented with a photo id. Justin
cites one example of a person using a fake id when voting, which is
apparently enough evidence to proclaim massive fraud via fake photo ids
exists. Perhaps the solution to this massive fraud is that we need poll
workers training to detect fake ids and provide them with the necessary
detection equipment in every polling place, just like the training and
equipment used by airport security.

============
Dr. Michael P. McDonald
Associate Professor, George Mason University 
Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

                             Mailing address:
(o) 703-993-4191             George Mason University
(f) 703-993-1399             Dept. of Public and International Affairs
mmcdon at gmu.edu               4400 University Drive - 3F4
http://elections.gmu.edu     Fairfax, VA 22030-4444


-----Original Message-----
From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu
[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of David A.
Schultz
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 3:56 PM
To: rhasen at law.uci.edu
Cc: law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] in-person voter fraud Washington 2004 follow up

Rick:


Good question and you make my point.  I think studies on photo Id claiming
that deter voter fraud run the same problem as any other study about
criminal laws and claims that deter xyz.  It is impossible to prove
deterrence.


Conversely, I have yet to see a good study that really documents the impact
of voter ID laws on suppressing voting.  I think there are research design
issues, ecological fallacy problems, and perhaps a host of other issues that
make it difficult to ascertain  the real impact.


Having said that, American history is littered with many policies, enacted
with the belief they will achieve certain results, and they do not.


David,
Have you applied the same examination of evidence to the question whether
voter identification laws actually deter much voting?  The best study I've
seen on the question indicates that the issue may not be empirically
resolvable, at least not yet.
Rick
David Schultz, Professor
Editor, Journal of Public Affairs Education (JPAE)
Hamline University
School of Business
570 Asbury Street
Suite 308
St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
651.523.2858 (voice)
651.523.3098 (fax)
http://davidschultz.efoliomn.com/
http://works.bepress.com/david_schultz/
http://schultzstake.blogspot.com/
>>> Rick Hasen  07/31/11 2:44 PM >>>


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