Ben Horton
Role at the time: Free Speech For People counsel representing Open Democracy
Statement summary
Horton says the restrictions add bureaucracy without improving election security and could discourage future voting.
“It’s adding this extra layer of bureaucracy with literally no actual difference in the amount of types of documents that are being required; it’s just adding another step. This does nothing to further election security”
Why we used this label
The reference point is the state's categorical exclusion of student IDs from consideration under existing identity-verification safeguards, which Secretary of State David Scanlan's April 23 directive set out. Horton says the student-ID restrictions add "another step" and do "nothing to further election security". Horton also says the April 23 directive unlawfully extends HB 323. We labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, since Horton disputes the security rationale; it loses because the remarks argue that the restrictions add a step without improving election security.