Faculty Publications

Election Administration Reform And State Choice: Voter Identification Requirements And Hava

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Election administration, HAVA, Party control, Political culture, Racial/ethnic diversity, Voter identification

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Policy Studies Journal

Volume

38

Issue

2

First Page

281

Last Page

302

Abstract

This research examines factors that have influenced state choices about methods of voter identification practices in the current environment of election administration reform. State voter identification practices have been an active area of state policy action since 2000. Rival explanations for state adoption of voter identification requirements are analyzed for three national election cycles following the 2000 presidential election. State voter identification practices are classified according to levels of relative stringency and in terms of variation from federal requirements for voter identification under the Help America Vote Act of 2002. State decisions to adopt more stringent forms of voter identification are significantly influenced by intrastate factors including Republican Party control of state government, traditionalist state political culture, and greater levels of racial/ethnic diversity. Federal review of election practices under the Voting Rights Act is positively associated with more moderate approaches to voter identification but is not significant over this time period. © 2010 Policy Studies Organization.

Department

Department of Political Science

Original Publication Date

5-1-2010

DOI of published version

10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00362.x

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