The latest data from Tennessee about the state’s experience with its new photographic voter identification law show that this requirement has done nothing to suppress voter turnout throughout the state. In fact, overall turnout in Tennessee was slightly higher, and black voters turned out at higher rates than white voters in the first election held after the law became effective.  The claims made by voter ID opponents that the law would prevent minorities and other Tennesseans from being able to vote have been shown to be untrue.

…Multiple courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the Tennessee Supreme Court, have found voter ID laws constitutional and not a burden on voters. As the Tennessee legislature concluded, voter ID is simply a common-sense reform that is needed to protect the security of elections. The goals of voter ID are simple: to fight against voter fraud, to maintain public confidence in the democratic process, and to ensure the legitimacy of elections in America.