[EL] Up to 1 Million Voters Face Disenfranchisement

[Michael McDonald]

Not sure who the “we” is. The 1 million number is consistent with what was
presented by plaintiff’s expert witness, Matt Barreto. With approximately
9.5 million eligible voters in Pennsylvania, and if the survey evidence is
correct that 10% do not have the forms of id required by the state, you get
a number of up to 1 million disenfranchised.

Perhaps what Rick means is that, well, the turnout rate among those
individuals is exceedingly low, so they have already disenfranchised
themselves by not registering and voting. This is what I find to be most
pernicious about the district court’s logic and weighing of the evidence,
that it is acceptable to erect high barriers to voting among those with low
turnout rates because they already do not vote. The judge, for example,
dismissed Barreto's survey because the sample frame was of eligible voters,
not registered voters.

============
Dr. Michael P. McDonald
Associate Professor
George Mason University
4400 University Drive - 3F4
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

703-993-4191 (office)
e-mail:  mmcdon at gmu.edu               
web:     http://elections.gmu.edu
twitter: @ElectProject     
“Could Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Help Romney Win Race? Up to 1 Million
Voters Face Disenfranchisement” 
Posted on September 15, 2012 5:37 pm by Rick Hasen 
Here is a link to a Democracy Now! program.  I haven’t had a chance to
listen to the program but the 1 million disenfranchised voters seems quite
high and not supported at all by what we know.