bbauska wrote:Danivon,
I must say that it appears there is no pleasin' ya. Several forms of ID would be accepted, Utility bills and birth certificate, even a non-state ID with SSN attached.

My goodness, how easy does it have to be?

bbauska wrote:Danivon,
How easy do we need to make it? I understand your desire to get actual number estimates, but goodness sakes, how easy?

The Findings
Depending on how voter identification laws are implemented, a substantial amount of current voters could be disenfranchised. While 88% of the sample stated they did have a valid state driver’s license, only 56% stated that they had a driver’s license and at least one additional form of identification. Further, access to identification varied considerably by race, class and immigrant status.

For five out of six types of voter identification, Latinos, Asians, Blacks and immigrants were statistically less likely to have access to ID, as compared to Whites and the native born (see table 3). In the two combined measures, minorities and immigrants were again significantly less likely to have multiple forms of the acceptable identification. While Latinos and Blacks were not less likely to have a state driver’s license, Latinos, Blacks, Asians and immigrants were all significantly less likely to have at least a driver’s license and one additional form of identification. The changes in predicted probability reported in table 4 suggest that these differences were profound. Asians and Blacks were over 20% less likely to have two forms of identification, as compared to Whites, while Latinos were 13% less likely. Immigrants were about 6.5% less likely to be able to provide two forms of ID compared to native born.
Further, considerable group differences exist even for forms of identification that might be considered very basic or accessible. With regard to a recent bank statement, Asians were almost 24% less likely to have access, Blacks about 17% less likely, Latinos 15% less likely, and immigrants 7% less likely. Similarly, Blacks were 20% less likely to have access to a recent utility bill that would contain their name and current address, while Asians were 18% less likely, Latinos 14% less likely and immigrants 10% less likely to be able to present a utility bill. Although these two forms of identification are often cited as easily accessible, our findings demonstrate clearly that racial and ethnic minorities do not have access to the same types of identification as Whites. Our findings are supported by extant research in the fields of economics and sociology, where scholars have found that minorities and immigrants have much lower rates of access to bank checking and credit accounts (Hogarth et. al. 2003; Rhine and Toussaint 1999). Further, minorities are less likely to own their home, and therefore may not have a full range of utility bills in their name (Flippen 2001). Or in the case of multiple family households, the bills may be in the sole name of the male head of household, leaving three other adults in the household without proof of their residency in that household, at least by way of utility bill (Angel and Tienda 1982; Glick et. al. 1997). It is clear that imposing stricter voter identification requirements would disproportionately impact Latino, Black, Asian and immigrant voters.

danivon wrote:So those without birth certificates? If I sound repetitive on that, it's because no-one seems to have addressed it.

danivon wrote:Can you, for example, use your UK issued birth certificate if you have become a naturalised citizen? I would guess you need a certificate of naturalisation instead, right?

danivon wrote:If I read that correctly, it'd asking for four pieces of ID to show name and address. It assumes every adult will be getting utility bills. It must cost quite a bit to have public employees check all that stuff out...

Archduke Russell John wrote:One can order a certificate of live birth from the state for free. You provide your name, date and location of birth and the names of your parents. That is what I have since my original birth certificate was lost long ago. Takes about 4-6 weeks to get via mail, order one on the internet which you get in 3-5 days (there is a $10 charge for that) or you can show up at a local state gov't office of vital records location and get it same day.

danivon wrote:Can you, for example, use your UK issued birth certificate if you have become a naturalised citizen? I would guess you need a certificate of naturalisation instead, right?

Again, this is no more then I had to provide to register my 6 year old daughter for 1st grade in September.