This document provides instructions for a written assignment assessing state voter identification laws. Students are asked to: 1) Select a state that has changed its voter ID laws since 2011 and briefly explain the changes. 2) Discuss support for and opposition to the changes from at least two sources on each side. 3) Evaluate whether the changes likely lead to voter suppression and suggest if greater federal oversight of voting laws is needed. The paper should be 1500 words, cite sources in APA/MLA/Chicago style, and be submitted electronically. Recommended sources include news articles, editorials, statements from officials, and position papers from interest groups. Wikipedia and Q&A sites are not suitable sources

1. Since the passage of the 15th Amendment, various states have
used their powers under Article I of the Constitution to impair
the ability of minority groups to vote. The potential for states to
use electoral laws for voter suppression remains controversial
within contemporary American politics, as numerous states have
recently enacted questionably restrictive forms of voter
identification requirements. For this written assignment, you
will conduct research on state voter identification laws and
assess their overall impact on voting rights.
To complete this paper assignment, you must do the following:
Select a state whose legislature has enacted changes to their
voter identification laws since 2011 (see source list). Identify
and briefly explain the changes to the voter identification laws
in the state you selected.
Discuss
support for
and
opposition to
the legislative changes in the state you selected, as well as any
subsequent legal threats or challenges. Locate and draw upon at
least two suitable sources for each ‘side.’
Give your evaluation of these legislative changes. Consider the
following questions:
Do the changes in your case seem likely to lead to voter

2. suppression?
Does your case suggest a need for greater federal oversight (or
regulation) of state
voting laws?
Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Your paper should be approx. 1500 words in length (double
spaced, 12pt font, 1”
margins).
Citations must be formatted in APA, MLA, or Chicago
reference style.
Your paper will be electronically submitted via the
appropriate D2L dropbox. Submit
your paper in .doc, .rtf, or .pdf file formats.
All papers will be screened by Turnitin plagiarism detection
software

3. I strongly recommend starting at either of these two sites for
lists and brief explanations of recent voting law changes.
www.brennancenter.org/voting- restrictions-first-time-2016
www.ncsl.org/research/elections- and-campaigns/voter-id-
history.aspx
Once you have selected your state, Google Scholar is an
excellent place to start a general search; searching here will
return primarily news and academic sources, with less various
junk than a regular search.
Be picky with your research. For purposes of this assignment,
sources that do not clearly advocate or explain positions for or
against the laws in question or cannot be attributed to an
individual person or civic organization are not likely to be very
useful, and should be avoided.
Good Sources for Research
News articles and editorials
You should be able to readily attribute the source of the
advocacy from this type of source. Articles from relevant
newsmagazines would be preferable to newspapers. You should
try to avoid articles that are overly short or lacking in detail.
Statements from elected officials Members of Congress / state
officials frequently write letters or essays that identify their
position regarding legislation. These would be an excellent
source for this project.

4. Position papers from relevant interest groups / non-
governmental organizations
Many organizations have weighed in on this topic. While you
may not be able to find a singular author, being able to attribute
the advocacy to an organization is good enough.
Questionable Sources for Research
Wikipedia / other encyclopedia These sources usually contain
accurate information, but cannot be attributed to a specific
author, and do not necessarily contain editorial content.
Q&A sites (e.g. Yahoo! Answers, Google Buzz)
The content of these sites should not be assumed to be
accurate, and cannot be attributed to specific authors.