Issues - Voting Rights

The Cost of Voter ID

Bills requiring voters to display a certain kind of photo ID in order to vote (or cast a provisional ballot without valid ID) are a solution in search of a problem. There is no documentation of allegations of widespread voter impersonation fraud in the Commonwealth.

Solving this nonexistent problem carries a large cost burden for the Commonwealth and localities.

Provisional ballot costs:

A Nebraska study found that a provisional ballot costs the registrar approximately $30 per ballot cast in time spent on administration and adjudication.
According to numbers provided by the Chesterfield County Registrar, had this measure been in effect during the last election cycle, Chesterfield County would have seen a 328% percent increase in the number of provisional ballots that the electoral board would have to certify. This is time-consuming and costly and could delay the outcome of an election.
There will be a need for increased training on processing of provisional ballots and increased number of provisional ballots to print and process.

Photo ID Costs:

The voter ID program is likely to cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year to implement. Virginia will have to offer free IDs to new voters who don’t currently have acceptable form of ID. For example, in Indiana, the State Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued 771,017 free photo IDs between 2007-2010 at a cost of over $10million (according to Jeremy Burton, the Help America Vote Act outreach manager with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office).
Introducing new photo ID requirements will require an extensive public education campaign, including mailings, advertising, and public service announcements, updating forms; updating websites, etc.
They would also require added poll worker training and potentially more poll workers. These proposals essentially require that poll workers perform a quasi-law enforcement function – checking the validity of individuals’ identification requirements.
There will be added administrative costs that the State Board of Elections and local registrars’ offices will incur in order to enforce these voter ID laws.

Voter Suppression

Any changes to Virginia’s voting laws are subject to review by the Department of Justice under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The state must prove that these laws would not affect minority voters more than white voters. The proposed laws welcome potential lawsuits that would be time-consuming and put Virginia in an unnecessary legal battle that would cost the state’s taxpayers.
These bills are intended to fix a problem - voter fraud- that is extremely rare. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, there is “no documented wave or trend of individuals voting multiple times, voting as someone else, or voting despite knowing that they are ineligible.” National case studies conducted by the Center have found that states like Missouri have overall voter fraud rates of 0.0003% in 2000, 0.0001% in 2004, 0.0006% in New Hampshire in 2004, 0.0004% in New Jersey in 2004, 0.000009% in New York in 2004.
Photo ID laws are designed to keep people of color, students, and seniors from voting. 11 percent of Americans—approximately 23 million citizens of voting age—lack proper photo ID and, as a result, could be turned away from the polls on Election Day. Those without photo ID are disproportionately low-income, disabled, minority, young, and older voters. Photo ID laws also cost millions; at a time when we are facing budget shortfalls, it doesn't make sense to waste money on things we don't need and that don't create jobs.
11 percent of Americans—approximately 23 million citizens of voting age—lack proper photo ID and, as a result, could be turned away from the polls on Election Day. Those without photo ID are disproportionately low-income, disabled, minority, young, and older voters.