Action | Revise Valid Definition |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/4/2014 |
Photo IDs allowed for election purposes should not be expired. The DMV requires relatively current photos on a driver's license. The State Department requires relatively current photos on passports. In both instances it is to insure, when being inspected by an official, that the document is for the person who possesses it and is not stolen. It makes no sense to have a photo ID requirement and then allow licenses and passports that are expired. To identify a person, we don't want to allow 25+ year old pictures that may or may not be the person in front of you. Only current, non-expired photo ID's please. I believe that absentee voters already have to have a valid photo ID so their ballot can be notarized. Voters at a precinct should also have that.
As for the issue of whether checking the expiration date will be too tough for precinct workers to do and will slow them down, grocery store clerks routinely check birthday dates on a driver's license when a person purchases beer or wine and it doesn't slow their routine down. However, perhaps a bit of training should be provided to insure that every precinct worker knows where to look for photo id expiration dates.
I also question the motives of those who object to the photo ID requirement when it is required for a driver's license and a passport. The right to vote is crucial for our country. I'm absolutely certain that the political parties will insure that their voters that they are recruiting for elections will be given current, correct photo IDs.