Projo Politics Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- House lawmakers have approved legislation that could make Rhode Island the ninth state requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, a move supporters say could prevent voter fraud and strengthen the election process.

Critics believe the law could disenfranchise voters who are old or poor and may be less likely to have drivers' licenses or other forms of identification. It could also create longer Election Day lines at the polls.

If written into law, the measure would have a ramp-up process. Until 2012, registered voters would be required to bring some form of ID, though list of acceptable documents is long and photos aren't required: bus passes and library cards suffice. So does a credit card. The idea is to get people accustomed to bringing identification with them to the polling place before the real law goes into effect in 2012. At that point, the list of acceptable documents gets slightly shorter and photos are a must.

As dozens of other states have grappled with the Voter ID question, it has emerged as a strictly partisan issue, with Democrats arguing against what they said was sure to discourage a segment of voters -- not coincidently, a demographic that tends to vote Democrat.

But in Rhode Island, a core group of Democratic lawmakers pushed the initiative.
"I just want to integrity of the process," said House sponsor Jon Brien, a Woonsocket Democrat. "I went three days ago and bought a gallon of skim milk. I paid with my debit card and they asked me for a photo ID. But I could walk into my precinct and say that I'm anyone and they'd let me vote. It doesn't make sense."

Both House Speaker William J. Murphy and Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, said they had initial concerns, but came to believe that IDs increase the integrity of the voting process, explaining in part how the bill made it to the House floor. "I think if I need to show an ID to board a plane, I should certainly have to [show] some evidence of who I am before I can vote," Fox said.

After a heated floor debate that spanned more than 90 minutes, House lawmakers approved the bill in a 47-24 vote.

A similar proposal has stalled in a Senate committee, raising questions about whether a Voter ID bill has sufficient support to become law.

 Tags  voter ID

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