[Vision2020] women against Idaho voter photo ID law

[Bill London]

March 26, 2010
Contact Bonnie Douglas, Vice President
208-664-5659


League of Women Voters of Idaho Urges Governor C.L. Otter to Veto Photo ID Bill H 496
Says Law Would Create Unreasonable Barriers to Voting

The following is a statement by Bonnie Douglas, Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Idaho: 

"The League of Women Voters of Idaho strongly urges Governor Otter to veto House Bill 496 that was recently passed by the legislature. This legislation would require voters to obtain and show a government issued photo ID before exercising their constitutional right to vote.

"Photo ID requirements are one of the most serious threats to our efforts to ensure the right of every eligible American to vote. Research shows that they encourage racial and ethnic discrimination at polling places, prevent eligible voters from participating in our democracy, limit turnout, and do very little to combat genuine instances of voters impersonating someone else at the polls. 

"The number of people who could be disenfranchised by the proposed legislation is daunting. Many citizens do not have valid photo identification. The burden will be greatest for those people - including the elderly, low-income, minority, homeless, or handicapped - for whom it is most cost prohibitive and inconvenient to take off work, get transportation, stand in line, and apply for the documentation. In many cases, these individuals don't have the underlying documentation that is needed to get an Idaho ID.  In other words, this requirement would disenfranchise the very people who currently must work the hardest to vote at all. 

"The right to vote, and to have that vote counted, is the most important civil right we have. Photo ID requirements are one of the greatest threats to fair and equal voting rights today. State governments should be in the business of encouraging full participation of our citizenry, not developing ways to limit the right to vote."

"Any proposal that raises barriers to voting is a fear-based approach instead of a fact-based solution.  For these reasons, the League strongly urges Governor Otter to do the right thing by vetoing this legislation that would require voter photo ID and instead focus on provisions that would help improve polling place operations, foster effective training and recruitment of poll workers, and make election administration more efficient, secure, accurate and recountable."
 

http://lwvid.org/
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