Voter ID Laws
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the historic day when civil rights activists attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, but were violently stopped by law enforcement.
The horrors of Bloody Sunday, broadcast across the nation, led to the signing of the most important and impactful civil rights legislation in our history. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) marked the first time that access to the ballot was genuinely available for all American voters, directly addressing racial discrimination in voting.
Today, as we examine our current state of voting in the US, it’s crucial to see our history led us here and what we can learn.
HR 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, will require that every eligible voter provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering and voting.
Every eligible voter could be unnecessarily burdened by the SAVE Act at some point when they update or change their voter registration information.
Congress must act to ensure that every eligible US citizen has the freedom to vote unimpeded by discriminatory rules rooted in fear and division.
With anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation sharply on the rise, it’s no surprise that barriers to voting have also increased for transgender people.
With this in mind, the League opposes strict voter ID laws, as they often unfairly burden certain groups of voters, while being totally unnecessary to prevent voter fraud.
The legislative landscape of 2023 was a whirlwind of activity, with new laws that both empower and challenge democracy on the fronts of voting rights, reproductive rights, and so much more. Our report "Trends from 2023 Legislative Sessions" shows the ever-changing legislative landscape, shedding light on how things are changing across the country at the state level of government.
This story was originally published by Ideastream Public Media.
Jen Miller, the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio joined Ideastream Public Media’s, “Sound of Ideas” show this week to answer questions from voters.
This opinion was written by Jenny Fisher, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Oxford, OH.
In 2023, at least 322 bills restricting voting access were introduced in state legislatures nationwide.
Though many of these restrictions may appear simple and easy to comply with, they often have a huge impact on voters with disabilities, people of color, indigenous communities, students, young voters, and older adults. Four common voting restrictions — third-party ballot drop-off restrictions, early voting restrictions, ballot drop-box restrictions, and strict absentee ballot requirements — are particularly devastating.
Voter ID laws have long been debated in the United States. While supporters argue that voter photo ID laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud and ensure the integrity of elections, reality tells a different story. Not only do these measures disproportionately impact Black, Native, elderly, and student voters, but they also fail to effectively address any real issues related to election integrity.
This article was originally published in The Miami Student.
Recent changes to Ohio’s voting laws put the state among those with the most restrictive voting requirements in the country.