State and local election officials get behind Senate proposal.
The bill would require voters to present a photo ID or be photographed to receive a ballot starting in 2016, but still allow those without an ID to vote. The bill’s author, Kingston Senator Russ Prescott, hopes his plan can forge accord on a topic that tends to produce partisanship.
"People will come to the polls, present their ID, and not be presented a provisional ballot if they don’t have an ID; they would fill out a affidavit and vote. We are working within the system that we have today."
Governor Lynch vetoed a GOP-backed voter ID bill last year. That proposal was relied on provisional balloting and was criticized by election officials. They aren’t objecting to this bill, which Deputy secretary of state David Scanlan called clean and workable. But critics, including the AARP and disabilities rights groups say this proposal would still have the effect of disenfranchising voters.
