A recent Fox News poll gave new insights into the fact that requiring identification to vote has bipartisan support.
The outlet worked with Beacon Research and Shaw & Company to interview 1,002 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, and discovered that 77 percent of those asked supported a requirement for people to have a valid photo ID to prove they are a United States citizen.
When broken down by party affiliation, 95 percent of Republicans, 76 percent of independent voters and 60 percent of Democrats agreed with the concept.
These numbers vary slightly from when Fox News conducted a similar poll in 2011.
Most notably, 75 percent of Democrats in 2011 supported voter ID, showing a 15 percent decrease in the last decade.
Democratic leaders across the country have advocated against voter ID, as there is concern that it would make it more difficult for minorities to vote.
“This is simply a redux of a failed system that is designed to both scare people out of voting and make it harder for those who are willing to push through, make it harder for them to vote,” former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said about the state’s voter ID laws on CNN back in 2018, setting the tone for years to come, according to The Hill.
You know what's racist? Assuming because I'm black that "I just don't have the capability of getting an I-D."
Disclaimer: We are capable of getting and I-D (and even using the internet!) https://t.co/WpF2zQ4KYX
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) March 11, 2021
Voter ID laws unnecessarily disenfranchise voters.
The next time Republicans claim that it's no big deal to get an ID to vote, tell them to explain that to Jonny Randle.👇 pic.twitter.com/fpaHQElNiY
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) July 6, 2020
The Fox poll additionally asked about concerns of voter fraud and voter suppression, where the results were largely predictable.
Eighty-one percent of Republicans said they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about voter fraud, compared to 39 percent of Democrats.
On the question of voter suppression, 78 percent of Democrats and only 46 percent of Republicans had a high level of concern.
I was asked for a list of my objections to Georgia Republicans' voter suppression law, so here's a video.#gapol #SB202 pic.twitter.com/K5Cnj48VyA
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) April 27, 2021
The results about fraud and suppression should come as no surprise, particularly as many Republican lawmakers have called for increased protections and restrictions in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
However, the fact that a significant percentage of Americans back voter ID should send a message to Democrats that a basic level of protection at the ballot box is popular.
Let’s set the record straight.
A new poll on Georgia’s Election Integrity Act found:
✅ 75% support for expanded early voting.
✅ 65% support for ID requirements for absentee ballots.
✅ 55% support for securing drop boxes around the clock.
Easier to vote. Harder to cheat. https://t.co/DMo9dVXRZ5
— Jan Jones (@JanJonesGA) April 21, 2021
Voting is a vital aspect to the success of the American experiment and understanding how voters feel about the democratic process is key to improving our democratic republic.
