New Barriers to Participation: Application of New Mexico's Voter Identification Law
Working Paper No.: 59Date Published: 2008-11-30
Author(s):
Lonna Rae Atkeson, University of New Mexico
Lisa A. Bryant, University of New Mexico
Thad E. Hall, University of Utah
Kyle L. Saunders, Colorado State University
R. Michael Alvarez, California Institute of Technology
Abstract:
In democratic societies there is a tension between maximizing ballot access and minimizing
voter fraud. Since the 2000 presidential election, this tension has been central to discussions
about election reform, at the national and local level. We examine this tension by focusing on
the implementation of voter identification laws in one state that has experienced significant
issues in recent elections, and that is now implementing significant attempts at election reform:
New Mexico. We hypothesized that Hispanic voters were more likely to show some form of
identification than other types of voters. Using a voter data set from New Mexico’s First
Congressional District in the 2006 election, we find that Hispanic, male and Election Day voters
were more likely to show some form of identification than non-Hispanic, female and early
voters. In addition, using an overlapping study of Bernalillo County 2006 poll workers, we find
no evidence that certain groups of poll workers were more likely to ask for voter identification.
Our findings suggest that broad voter identification laws, which may be applied unequally, may
be perceived as discriminatory.