YDA Statement on Supreme Court Voter ID Ruling
WASHINGTON, DC - The Supreme Court’s disappointing ruling upholding Indiana’s law requiring voter to present photo identification before casting a ballot has huge implications for millions of new voters, including young voters. Disenfranchising voter ID laws will severely limit the ability of young people to vote. Many young people do not have a driver’s license, only have a student ID, or do not possess identification with a current address.
“Young voters will feel the effects of these disenfranchising laws just at the time when turnout among turnout among young people is on the rise,” said David Hardt, President of the Young Democrats of America. “Make no mistake. These laws are a voter suppression tool, with young voters – who have been voting overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent elections – in the crosshairs.”
“Voter identification laws are simply a partisan tool used by Republicans to intentionally disenfranchise voters who are less likely to support their extreme agenda,” said Alexandra Acker, Executive Director of the Young Democrats of America. “The Young Democrats of America will work to incorporate voter education into all aspects of our campaign programs this Fall to help young voters, among those most impacted by this law, bring proper ID to the polls and make their voices heard through the ballot box.”
Justice Souter, in his dissent, wrote: "Indiana's 'Voter ID Law' threatens to impose nontrivial burdens on the voting right of tens of thousands of the state's citizens and a significant percentage of those individuals are likely to be deterred from voting." The court, ruling 6-3, allowed Indiana’s law to go into effect for next week’s presidential primary.
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The Young Democrats of America (YDA) is the nation's largest youth-led partisan political organization dedicated to building a solid youth voting bloc of Democrats nationwide.
Contact:
Alexandra Acker- aacker@yda.org | 202-639-8585
