Action | Revise Valid Definition |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/4/2014 |
I strongly oppose the regulation under consideration that a current, government-issued I.D. be presented when voting. Voters are not required by the Constitution to be drivers, or to keep a current photo i.d. Proof of identity should be sufficient. Elderly people, blind people, persons with disabilities and persons without means will be kept away from the polls if this measure passes. What about people in nursing homes? They can vote! Most of them cannot drive, and are not well enough to travel to the registrar's office to obtain a photo i.d., but many of them have all of their faculties and should not be disenfranchised. The timing is especially poor. There won't be much time to educate the populace about this requirement, if it passes. If a valid driver's license or other identification expires, that doesn't mean the individual's identity has changed. This would be a poll tax, even more so than the government-issued i.d. measure is a poll tax. It is meant to keep persons without means from voting, and it should not be considered by the SBE.