House committee approves voter ID bill

Opponents argue the bill would exclude voters.

By Evan Spaulding

Published April 9, 2009

Missouri voters might soon be required to bring photo identification to the polls, because of a bill that would amend the state constitution and allow the General Assembly to make this a requirement to vote in elections.

Rep. Bill Deeken, R-Jefferson City, who is chairman of the House Elections Committee, said the bill was voted out of committee by a 7-5 margin on Tuesday, with both sides of the aisle voting strictly party line.

The legislation is a joint resolution, which means if it is passed it will be placed on a ballot for a voter decision in 2010.

Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, the bill's sponsor, said the impetus behind the bill is stopping potential voter fraud. Missouri law allows voters to register with a document containing a name and address, such as a utility bill, a regulation Cox said is "too minimal".

"A higher standard to prove who you are is necessary," Cox said. "My argument is, even if it's a small problem, it's certainly worthwhile to make our votes count and not have votes watered down by people trying to game the system."

The Republican-supported bill was heavily contested by the Democratic members of the committee, citing voter disenfranchisement as their chief argument in opposition to the bill.

Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, said the justifications supplied by the Republicans are invalid and voters will suffer if this bill is approved.

"The effect of the photo ID bill will be to make it difficult for certain people to vote," Kelly said. "Older black women will be the most affected."

Kelly said according to state statistics, older black women are the least likely to own a photo ID, and the Republicans are excluding this demographic and others who are financially unable to obtain photo identification from voting.

"It's a Republican party voter strategy from top to bottom," Kelly said, as older black women vote overwhelmingly Democratic.

Deeken said the bill would allow the state to pay for identification for those who cannot afford it, but Kelly said this would not stop the people from having to go through the process of obtaining one.

Kelly also said the argument that the bill will defend against voter fraud is unsubstantiated.

"There has not been a voter fraud case in the State of Missouri," Kelly said. "(Republicans) say they think there's some, but they can't point to one."

Proponents of the bill do not agree.

"Certainly the design of the bill is not to disenfranchise voters," Cox said. Cox said Missouri has had incidents of voter fraud.

In past elections, get-out-the-vote workers for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now operating in Missouri have been accused of submitting fake voter registration cards.

In a news release, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a Democrat, said the bill would limit access for Missouri voters who are disabled or voting using the absentee system, such as deployed military personnel.

Cox said the bill exempts these groups from the regulation.

"The (bill) that will be debated on the floor will have, in fact, no adverse affect on absentee voting," Cox said.

Despite the arguments, Deeken remains optimistic about the success of the bill.

"I think we can get it out of the House," Deeken said. "I think the main thing that we've got going in our favor is that it's house joint resolution, so that means we're putting it to the people."