Abstract
Abstract
Though the demographic characteristics of American voters still differ from the characteristics of the electorate as a whole, participation in the 2008 election represented real progress in closing the gap. Unfortunately, a wave of new regulations in 2011 threatens to reverse course. Worse, the burdens imposed by these new laws are not only real and inequitable, but also unnecessary—and in some cases, directly counterproductive. Though a hard look at the available data, this article reviews the demonstrated costs and benefits of three types of new election regulation: restrictions on voter registration, restrictions on early voting, and restrictions on how voters prove their identity at the polls. It concludes that while regulation of these aspects of the election process is undeniably necessary, the approaches of 2011's new laws appear unwarranted.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.