Perspectives: Are Voter Photo Identification Laws a Good Idea?
Tiffany Willey Middleton · Social Education · 2012
A s the 2012 presidential election approaches, controversy grows over recent statewide legislative initiatives that impose stricter identification requirements on voters. These new voter identification laws—especially those that require voters to produce a government-issued photo ID—are the subject of intense debates. During 2011, seven states signed laws requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification at polling locations: Alabama, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. In all, 31 states now require identification to vote; 15 require photo identification.