Sun, Nov 08 2009
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Published March 13, 2008 04:54 pm - Voter ID bill draws mixed opinions By TEDDYE SNELL TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Like it or not, if you want to make any kind of transaction these days - send money, open a bank account, cash a check - a photo ID is required.
And if the Oklahoma House of Representatives has its way, you may soon be required to produce photo ID to vote. According to a report by the Associated Press, HB 2956 was approved Monday, 55-42, along party lines. Many Democrats believe the measure could be unconstitutional, and would disenfranchise quite a few voters. “I’m debating against a similar bill in the Senate [Tuesday],” said Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah. “We have data that shows it will take out 3 percent of Democratic voters in Oklahoma.” Wilson indicated he hopes to kill the Senate bill, which would pave the way to do the same when the House bill is sent. Wilson believes there are many groups who could be affected by such a policy, particularly seniors. “I can just see an elderly couple at the polls,” said Wilson. “One will have a driver’s license or other photo ID, and the other will not.” While House Republicans argue the bill will restore voters’ faith in the process, Wilson believes it was never lost. “There is no documentation that anyone has ever violated the trust,” said Wilson. Northeastern State University political science graduate Michael Horn doesn’t believe the proposed bill violates the Constitution. “The only restriction the Constitution places on voter qualification is that the right to vote shall not be denied because of race, color (15th Amendment), sex (19th Amendment), or age for those over 18 (26th Amendment),” wrote Horn in an e-mail. “The 26th Amendment makes it clear the persons over 18 cannot be denied the right to vote based on age, it does not say the cannot be denied for other reasons. It seems to me that these amendments do not grant the right to vote to anyone. Instead, they place guidelines on selecting ‘qualified voters.’” Horn said the right to vote is denied to people under 18, convicted felons, and those who have not registered to vote. He questioned the purpose of the registration system if it did not require verification. John Price, president of the Cherokee County Democratic Party, agrees with Wilson, saying the bill is an attempt to fix a non-existent problem. “Has the public really lost faith in the voting process?” asked Price. “After the Florida debacle of 2000 and the possible irregularities in the Ohio count in 2004, much of the public may well have lost faith that their votes will be accurately and fairly counted. That’s the issue that needs more attention than it has been getting.” According to the text of the bill, the following qualify as photo IDs for voting: 
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