Replication Data for Understanding Public Attitudes toward Restrictive Voting Laws in the United States

Existing research on voting legislation argues that Republican lawmakers enact strict voting laws as part of a racialized, partisan electoral strategy—they believe that the laws will reduce minority turnout and benefit Republicans electorally. Yet, the empirical effects of strict voting laws on turnout are mixed, with some studies finding that restrictive legislation can actually increase minority turnout due to counter-mobilization effects. I leverage this empirical finding to study whether public opinion about voting laws is built on a racialized partisan strategy or on principle, specifically testing whether exposure to information that restrictive voting laws can boost minority turnout impacts Republicans’ or Democrats’ attitudes. My results show that Republicans do not appear to support strict voting laws out of strategic considerations, but Democrats are significantly less opposed when they become aware of potential strategic benefits. These results pose challenges for building majorities that will defend the franchise in the United States.