It’s no secret that Democrats lie about commonsense election safeguards — especially voter ID laws.
While supported by the vast majority of Americans, these requirements, leftists baselessly argue, are evil because they suppress voters’ ability to cast ballots in any given election. In 2021, for example, Kamala Harris attempted to justify her opposition to such laws by outlandishly claiming voters — specifically those living in rural areas — have no way of making photocopies of their ID cards.
“I don’t think that we should underestimate what that [compromise on voter ID laws] could mean,” Harris said. “Because in some people’s mind, that means you’re going to have to Xerox or photocopy your ID to send it in to prove who you are. Well, there are a whole lot of people, especially people who live in rural communities, who don’t — there’s no Kinkos, there’s no OfficeMax near them.”
While it’s unclear what century the vice president believes we’re living in, Democrats’ insinuation that voters are too stupid to know how to acquire an acceptable form of ID to vote is not only insulting; it’s completely unsupported by the facts.
In a new report obtained by The Federalist, the Honest Elections Project (HEP) demonstrates how voter data from recent elections in Texas and Georgia disproves the left’s phony narrative that requiring eligible electors to provide ID when voting by mail “suppresses” their ability to participate in the electoral process.
“As the use of VBM [vote by mail] increases, efficient and effective voter verification practices are essential for bolstering public trust,” the analysis reads. “Voter ID for mail ballots is a commonsense reform that enjoys the support of most voters. Unfortunately, given the opposition to voter ID requirements generally, resistance against voter ID for mail ballots is unsurprising.”
The report specifically highlights a 2021 law passed by Texas Republicans that, among other changes, implemented identification requirements for electors voting by mail. To determine the potential effects of this policy on the electorate, HEP examined the state’s VBM ballot rejection rate for statewide races throughout 2022.
The study found that while Texas “initially experienced a notable spike in VBM rejections compared with the statewide VBM rejection rate of 1.76% in the November 2018 midterm election,” the statewide VBM rejection rate for every race thereafter “declined.” By the 2022 midterms, the report noted, “Texas’ rejection rate had fallen back in line with historic rejection rates.”
“The spike in rejection rates following the implementation of the ID requirements ultimately returned to levels consistent with historical standards by the November 2022 midterm election,” the analysis reads.
HEP inspected the initial spike of VBM rejections and what factors could have contributed to it. Among the most notable and probable causes cited by the group are the actions of Texas Democrats that delayed the passage and implementation of the new changes before the 2022 elections.
According to the report, Democrat state lawmakers repeatedly attempted to stymie the legislature’s adoption of election integrity measures during the 2021 regular session (January 2021-May 2021). This included a walkout by House Democrats that broke quorum and “prevent[ed] the legislature from conducting any further business before it adjourned on May 31, 2021.”
The report noted how Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called two special sessions in the following months but was unsuccessful after Texas House Democrats “fled to” and “remained in” Washington, D.C., to “break quorum and … preclude the legislature from conducting any business.” The state House was able to pass the bill after a quorum was established on Aug. 19, 2021, which allowed the bill to be signed into law and take effect on Dec. 2, 2021.
As noted by the report, however, the Dec. 2, 2021, effect date was less than three months before Texas’ next statewide election on March 1, 2022, and less than one month before voters could begin requesting their VBM ballots for those contests.
“The walkout deprived election officials of crucial time that could have been used to implement the changes and educate voters about how those changes affected how they would vote in the next election,” the analysis reads. “Many bills passed during the regular legislative session became effective September 1, 2021 — nearly six months before Texas’ statewide primary elections would take place. The walkout by House Democrats not only blocked the passage of key election legislation, but also delayed the effective dates of the legislation that ultimately passed.”
The report also cited “misleading” narratives circulated by the media about “the effect of these reforms” as a potential factor that “contributed to confusion for voters regarding the new requirements and the mechanisms to fix any mistakes in balloting materials.” Other possible contributing reasons referenced in the study include changes to the “design of the balloting materials” and initial difficulties among election officials adapting to such changes.
To further disprove Democrats’ “voter suppression” narrative regarding ID laws, HEP examined Georgia’s adoption of such requirements for mail-in voting in early 2021. The report noted how, unlike Texas, the Peach State “had the benefit of over a year and some smaller elections prior to the May 24, 2022 primary to implement and educate voters about the reforms, and it showed.”
According to the analysis, “Rejection rates for mail ballots in that election actually decreased, going from approximately 4.3% in the 2018 Primary Election to just 1% in the May 2022 Primary election.” The state also experienced “‘incredible’ voter turnout for that election, including levels of early voting customarily seen in presidential election years.”
As The Federalist previously reported, Democrats and their media allies waged a full-on disinformation campaign smearing Georgia’s 2021 election integrity law as “racist.” President Joe Biden grossly labeled the bill as “Jim Crow on steroids,” and called on Major League Baseball (MLB) to withdraw its annual All-Star events from Atlanta.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred ultimately acquiesced, moving the league’s festivities to Denver and falsely claiming the law created “restrictions to the ballot box.”
Despite the changes in the law still remaining in effect, MLB announced in November 2023 plans to move its All-Star events back to Atlanta beginning in 2025. Neither the league nor Manfred apologized for their lies about the law or their decision to pull out of Atlanta — a decision some business leaders estimate cost the state “upwards of $100 million” in lost revenue.
“The data tells the real story. As with any change, education and practice are critical components of successful implementation,” HEP concluded. “The rejection rates in both Georgia and Texas reflect that efforts to improve voting by mail through common sense election integrity protections are worthwhile endeavors.”
HEP Voter ID for Mail Ballo… by The Federalist
UPDATE
In a statement provided to The Federalist, HEP Executive Director Jason Snead said the group’s report “should put to bed the left-wing notion that voter ID requirements amount to alleged ‘voter suppression.’”
“Should the election not go progressives’ way this week, the voter suppression crowd won’t have a leg to stand on,” Snead said.
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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