Voter ID

Research Suggests Trump and His Opponents Are Both Wrong About the Impact of Voter ID Requirements

The weight of the evidence indicates that such laws do not reliably benefit Republicans or hurt Democrats.

Jacob Sullum | 7.20.2026 5:25 PM

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During his speech about election security last Thursday, President Donald Trump renewed his pitch for the SAVE America Act, focusing on the bill's requirement that voters present a photo ID when they cast ballots in federal races. "How simple is that?" he said. "Could I have your photo, please? Photo voter ID. All voters must provide proof of citizenship."

The bill, which is currently stalled in the Senate, would do more than that, and there are serious concerns about whether it could be implemented in time for this November's elections even if it had enough support to pass. Furthermore, Trump's claim that voter ID requirements are necessary to prevent widespread voting by noncitizens is not supported by the evidence, which suggests that such fraud is quite rare. Still, the policy seems commonsensical enough that a large majority of Americans support it, which raises the question of why Democratic politicians frequently resist the idea.

As Trump tells it, "the only reason you wouldn't do it is you want to cheat because your policies are so bad, and your candidates are so pathetic, that you…can't get elected any other way." Contrary to that gloss, critics of voter ID laws offer plausible objections that do not hinge on a desire to facilitate illegal voting. They worry that ID requirements, especially the stricter versions, systematically disadvantage people who may have difficulty obtaining or producing the necessary documentation, including young, elderly, low-income, and minority voters. But like Trump's warnings about massive voting fraud, such concerns seem misguided.

There is a partisan valence to this debate because Democrats anticipate, based on predictions of which voters are apt to be deterred by ID requirements, that the net effect will hurt their candidates. Conversely, many Republicans think such requirements will, on balance, help them win elections. But research on the actual impact of voter ID mandates has not produced much evidence to support those expectations.

According to Ballotpedia's tally, 36 states currently require voters to present identification at the polls. Twenty-four of those states explicitly require a photo ID. Beyond that distinction, state laws vary in the sorts of IDs they deem acceptable and the exceptions they allow.

What happens when a voter arrives at a polling place without an ID? "In 15 states," Ballotpedia reports, "some or all voters can sign an affidavit or a form in lieu of providing identification," and "four states allow election officials or other voters to vouch for a person's identity instead of an ID." In four states, "voters who live and vote in........

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