Requiring Photo ID to Vote an Attempt to Exclude Poor, Dems Say
In the last few years, several states have implemented new laws requiring all voters to produce a photo ID to confirm their identity. This has angered Democrats, who say Republicans are attempting to discourage the poor and disenfranchised from voting. Republicans discount the accusation and say they only want to confirm that the person voting is the same person as on the voter rolls.
The issue has garnered so much attention that members of Congress are traveling around the country, encouraging governors and state legislatures to make changes to a handful of new and existing laws. Several states, including Kansas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas recently enacted photo ID laws. Two other states – Georgia and Indiana – require that voters produce an ID to have their votes counted.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), at a Sept. 11 appearance in Tennessee with Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), raised concerns about the states’ new requirements that go into effect in January. The Illinois senator sent a letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to examine the laws’ effects.
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“I don’t think it’s impossible to have a fair ID law, but I think you have to go about it honestly and seriously,” Durbin told the Tennessean. “How will you make it possible for them and for eligible voters to have an easy, approachable system to acquire an ID in time to be full-fledged voters in time for the next election? I think that’s a legitimate question.”
The issue seems simple. Residents of a state who meet the minimum guidelines for voting, such as age and residency requirements, can register to vote in their home county. When election time rolls around and it’s time to vote, citizens typically go to their designated voting location, state who they are and sign a form.
The process sounds easy, but due to states keeping deceased voters, along with some convicted felons who have had their voting privileges revoked, on the rolls, voter fraud has increased and Shelby County, Tenn., is a prime example. The county’s high black majority, combined with several close elections, has brought unwanted attention to the county in recent years.
Democrats controlled the state legislature for more than a century and although state and federal law mandated they purge and clean voter rolls, the laws were rarely enforced, and election rolls became bloated and outdated, thus increasing the possibility of voter fraud.
Richard Holden, administrator of elections in Shelby County, home to Memphis, says voter rolls have been dramatically reduced since 2009.
“We’ve removed about 9,500 deceased voters from our rolls in the last two years,” said Holden. “Plus, we’ve deleted another 6,500 people who have moved out of state. We’ve had 18 elections over a two-year period and we still have some more work to do. We’ll be removing another 38,000 people who haven’t voted in the last four federal elections and moving another 100,000 people who haven’t voted in the last two federal elections from ‘active’ to ‘inactive’ status. That will clean up our rolls a lot.”
Fraud issues, both in Tennessee and nationally, prompted states to enact laws requiring voters to show a valid photo ID. In Tennessee’s case, the law specified the voter produce a photo from a federal- or state-issued ID.
“Even an expired passport is okay, since it’s a federally issued form of ID,” Holden stated. “However, a county employee could not use their county-issued ID since it falls outside the law’s requirements. Plus, people in Tennessee 60 and above are required to have their photos on their driver’s license. In these cases, the state’s Department of Safety will issue them a photo ID for voting purposes at no charge.”
Mark Goins, coordinator of elections for the state of Tennessee, doesn't believe the state's new law will pose a real problem for many voters.
"We're finding most folks won't have to go to the trouble of getting a state-issued ID if they don't have one already," said Goins. "The law exempts those who request an absentee ballot, live in nursing or assisted living, those who have religious objections to being photographed or even have a veterans card. Based on the calls we're getting, I don't think it's going to cause many problems. Plus, if you don't have an ID, you can still vote with a provisional ballot."
Tennessee, like many other states, modeled their legislation after the Indiana law that has already traveled through the court system.
In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled the Indiana law was constitutional because the state agreed to distribute photo IDs free of charge to any voter who requested one, but Democrats such as Durbin still maintain that the time and effort it takes to obtain an ID from a state agency is a hurdle to voting.
“I think the law is very fair and easy to follow,” said Holden. “We no longer have issues with voter fraud and I think the law will help all of Tennessee’s 95 counties have smoother elections.”
