Working Paper: NBER ID: w25503
Authors: Francesco Maria Esposito; Diego Focanti; Justine S. Hastings
Abstract: We study the effect of photo ID laws on voting using a difference-in-differences estimation approach around Rhode Island’s implementation of a photo ID law. We employ anonymized administrative data to measure the law’s impact by comparing voting behavior among those with drivers’ licenses versus those without, before versus after the law. Turnout, registration, and voting conditional on registration fell for those without licenses after the law passed. We do not find evidence that people proactively obtained licenses in anticipation of the law, nor do we find that they substituted towards mail ballots which do not require a photo ID.
Keywords: Voter ID laws; Turnout; Registration; Difference-in-differences; Rhode Island
JEL Codes: D72; K16; P16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | decline in voter registration among individuals without driver's licenses (K16) |
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | decline in overall turnout among individuals without driver's licenses (K16) |
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | negative impact on likelihood of individuals without a driver's license registering to vote (K16) |
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | discouraged registration and turnout among those without valid photo identification (K16) |
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | no significant decline in voting conditional on registration (K16) |
| Photo ID law implementation (K16) | no significant evidence of substitution towards mail ballots (K16) |