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Ensuring Honest Elections
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Last year I was the chief sponsor in the Missouri House of SJR 2. This Joint Resolution, which was passed by both the House and the Senate, will go to Missouri voters later this year. If it passes this state-wide vote, which seems very likely, it will authorize legislation to require a voter to present photo identification when they vote. An unfortunate reality of recent elections is that instances of voter fraud have continued. As recently as last few years an Illinois man was prosecuted for voting for President in both Missouri and Illinois and ACORN workers were charged with election fraud in Kansas City. Missouri has a long history of voter fraud especially in the urban center. For a people that cherish the right to vote as much as American, this practice is troubling.
Photo identification is required to open a bank account, buy Sudafed, rent a movie or board a commercial airplane. It seems reasonable to me to require that same level of identification when a citizen casts a vote. I have worked on this issue with others for over five years. As the primary sponsor in the House of a proposed Constitutional Amendment known as the “Voter Protection Act “, I worked hard to assure that we crafted legislation that will protect the integrity of elections in our state. This measure is designed to protect Missourian’s fundamental right to vote. Our current law relating to voter identification is very weak and is subject to manipulation by the dishonest few who cheat in elections.
Voter fraud is not a mythical issue. The U.S. Supreme Court, in its majority opinion upholding Indiana’s Voter Id law, recognized that flagrant examples of voter fraud are real and can affect the outcome of a close election. If we continue to let this problem go unchecked, our election principles will erode and legitimate voters will be disenfranchised. HB 1104 takes steps to protect the integrity of our elections by requiring voters to prove their identity. This ensures that each eligible person can vote without having their voice diluted by lawbreakers.
In anticipation of passage of the Constitutional Amendment, SJR 2, the House passed House Bill 1104 which will put this proposed Amendment to the Missouri Constitution in effect. We sent similar legislation to Governor Nixon last year but he vetoed it. Strong public support for these principles might cause the Governor to rethink his position and sign this important legislation.
Critics of this legislation argue that requiring voters to show a photo ID will suppress elderly, minority and poor citizens, keeping them from the polls. They say that these groups are less likely to have photo identification, and it is more difficult for them to obtain it. In an effort to alleviate these concerns, HB 1104 allows all citizens without the proper photo identification to obtain one free of charge from the state or their local license bureau. It also exempts individuals born before 1941. However, if the voter cannot afford to pay for the documentation required to obtain an ID, they can still vote by casting a provisional ballot which will be counted. Under this legislation, no one entitled to vote will be denied a vote. HB 1104 protects the integrity and principles of our electoral process by ensuring that only eligible people are voting.
Elections are the lifeblood of democracy, and the “One Man One Vote” principle supporting our elections is there to ensure that every vote counts. For these reasons, it is our duty here in the House to protect the integrity of our elections and the principles on which they are based. Last week, we took a step toward this goal by passing HB 1104 as part of our Blueprint for Missouri.