The Partisan Myth: How Voting Laws Actually Affect Election Results | Policy Stories

Elections in the United States have seemingly become more heated with each passing election cycle, with voter laws and election reforms often at the center of the political controversy and partisan divide. While politicians and pundits on both the left and the right claim that policies like voter ID, early voting, and mail-in ballots threaten the integrity of our elections and their outcomes, Senior Fellow Justin Grimmer demonstrates that the reality is quite different and suggests the rhetoric is simply much ado about nothing.
Be sure to visit The Hoover Institution at www.hoover.org/ and PolicyEd at www.policyed.org/
Check Out More from Justin Grimmer:
Read "How Election Rules Affect Who Wins" by Justin Grimmer and Eitan Hersh here:
www.hoover.org/research/how-e...
Listen to "Warnings on the Use and Abuse of Statistical Analysis in Elections" with Justin Grimmer here:
Read "Measuring the Contribution of Voting Blocs to Election Outcomes" by Justin Grimmer, William Marble, and Cole Taginawa-Lau here:
osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/c9fkg

[@sjhoff]

You focused on how they affect turnout. What is most concerning is how they enable cheating. You seem to be dismissing the concerns without addressing the real problem.

[@710p5]

@sjoff: you ref. they, please explain

[@710p5]

@sjoff; seems very clear that dismissing the concerns is a big part of the problem. 👉🇺🇸👍

[@chrissaari2]

Several recent elections have been decided by margins narrower than the influence analysis stated here.

[@DouglasLippi]

I think it's the swing states that are of most concern, where elections are very close. Based on this video it seems you took the country as a whole, rather than focusing on swing states.

[@matsuyorei]

How does vote harvesting fit into this?

[@davidrhenderson1950]

I wondered that too.

[@DJJ81]

Of course that’s what you found. I’m glad you’re confident you have all the incontrovertible evidence. I don’t believe you do, and some things are so obvious as to be dangerous on their face.

[@pamsnowberger1129]

Somewhat misleading about 2020 because supposedly only 144,000 overall voter difference, so even small cheating in various places could / did matter a lot. 13 states don’t have voter ID laws. This is an egghead argument in my opinion

[@smithb0134]

But what about states that will accept mail in ballots post marked 3 to 5 days AFTER election day. When election results are posted on election night, the losing party will ballot harvest in their strongholds until they get enough votes to overturn the results from election night. I mail my ballot in, but my state doesn't accept ballots, I think, two weeks before election day. If you miss the deadline, you have to vote in person. I like the convenience of mail in balloting, but states should not post election results until AFTER ALL THE VOTES HAVE BEEN COUNTED. Unfortunately, the money grabbing media in this country will lobby hard against that because they want the nail biting, edge of seat drama of election night. That's what gets clicks and ratings and ad dollars.

[@davidrhenderson1950]

Good analysis. Two corrections. It's "pundits," not "pundints." Also "Affect," not "Effect"

[@oceantree5000]

Great video. Thanks for this!

[@kevinjenner9502]

AIPAC should be required to register under FARA..No more foreign election interference.

[@scottspencer9784]

So….If it doesn’t matter, we should not care either way. Long live the justification of voter apathy. Let both sides exercise their power of control for their own purposes.

[@carnakthemagnificent336]

I hope that this information is correct, but I still believe that every voting citizen should show up on election day with their identification and cast their ballot. We say elections are important and the dates are known years in advance. Its really not that difficult to play according to the rules.

[@larryevans2806]

Doesn't matter. We need a basically sound voting system to restore confidence. It is gone as of 2020. You need voter ID to rent a movie for crying out loud. No electronics or internet connections. Hand counted paper ballots. Besides someone next month will come out with another study refuting yours. I am tired of studies!

[@strech5412]

Next please show how anti-gerrymandering laws actually increase gerrymandering against minor parties such as Greens and Libertarians

[@robinp2039]

Now do drop boxes

[@GiovanniAdami]

Breaking news! Voter ID won't make much difference in California and NY!!!

[@konbattles1570]

Why did ballots cast for President in 2020 exceed number of eligle voters? Perhaps you just need simplier math to reach the opposite conclusion of your paper.

[@WalterBurton]

Red meat, that's all it is. Strong institutions mitigate against the whims of nonsense red meat issues.

[@saints146]

Great research. Heard voter ID laws benefit Republicans and Mail in benefits democrats. Good to see it is essentially negligible

[@StevenWilliams0302]

cherry picking data is the best. lol

[@710p5]

@saint146: voter I.D. requirements by law maintain legitimacy of the process for ALL American citizens. How is there any confusion, except for those that believe the bias B.S.