Survey Finds Strong Support from Americans for Early Voting & Election Day Holiday Reforms, but Also Restrictive Government-Issued ID Requirements

Brian Beihl

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 13, 2024

Pew Research Center: Bipartisan Support for Early In-Person Voting, Voter ID, Election Day National Holiday

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A new study by Pew Research finds Americans broadly support such democracy reforms as making election day a holiday and two weeks of in person early voting, but also think voters must use government issued ID, and voting machines should have paper backup.

Pew surveyed over 5,100 American adults in January 2024 from a pool which reflects the demographics of the U.S. It found an increasing number of Americans, 72%, supported making election day a national holiday, and 76% supported two weeks of in-person early voting.  The public is split, however, on having a choice for mail-in voting, with 57% supporting and 41% opposing.  Among Republicans, support for mail-in voting dropped in four years from 49% to 28%, likely in response to former President Donald Trump’s baseless fraud claims. 

While voting rights groups have tried to protect voting for the elderly, disabled and students, 81% of Americans support voting only with government-issued ID.  Support for election day registration and automatic voter registration through the DMV, declined slightly since 2021, but is down 10% among Republicans.

Pew also found notable differences among younger adults and communities of color, who are more likely to support early voting, mail-in voting, and automatic and election day registration. 

We have a link to the full Pew survey at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Pew Research – Bipartisan Support for Early In-Person Voting, Voter ID, Election Day National Holiday
Brennan Center for Justice – Voter ID
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – Automatic Voter Registration
Ballotpedia – Voting Methods and Equipment by State

Groups Taking Action:
ACLU, League of Women Voters, National Disability Rights Network, Declaration for American Democracy

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PewTrust #AVR #VoterRegistration #ElectionDayHoliday