Republicans just changed a bill that requires a photo ID to vote. Here’s what’s new.
A milder version of a bill requiring people to show photo identification before they are allowed to vote passed a Senate Committee Wednesday as Kentucky Republicans attempt to push through stricter voting standards before the 2020 elections.
The revision makes three changes aimed at addressing concerns that Senate Bill 2 would make it more difficult for people to vote.
It will no longer require that the photo identification presented at polling locations have an expiration date (most college IDs, one of the forms of identification accepted, do not have expiration dates); it will allow people who don’t have photo identification but have a credit card, debit card or social security card to sign an affidavit at the polls and cast a regular ballot; and it no longer requires voters to get a notarized affidavit stating why they don’t have an ID.
“Even if you don’t think we have a big problem with this particular issue, we have to have public confidence in our election system,” , said Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican who is backing the bill. “And so part of why I’m pushing this is to enhance that public confidence.”
Josh Douglas, an election law expert and professor at the University of Kentucky, has said there is no need for the bill in Kentucky since photo identification laws only prevent one type of voter fraud — in-person impersonation — and there is no evidence of this type of fraud in Kentucky.
Douglas has been working with the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, and Adams in an attempt to decrease the bill’s impact on people’s ability to vote.
“Although I still think there is no need for a photo id requirement, I’m pleased with many of these changes because they mitigate much of the impact the law would have,” Douglas said. “I still think it’s crucial to delay the roll-out until 2021 so that the implementation can be effective.”
As written, the bill would go into effect before November 2020, which is likely to be a high turnout election, sparking concerns that there wouldn’t be enough time to let people know about the new rules.
Kentucky already requires some form of identification to vote, with a list that includes a driver’s license, a credit card, mail with your address on it or even a poll worker being able to identify who you are. Republican Senators contend the law is not strict enough, even though there have been no reported instances of in-person voter fraud.
“If there’s any election where we should be concerned about ballot integrity it’s this one,” Adams said. “This is obviously a high profile election, you’ve got a very competitive Senate seat and a very competitive election for essentially determining which party controls the Senate.”
Voter fraud is more of a concern for Republicans than Democrats, according to a recent NPR/Marist Poll. Spurred on by President Donald Trump, who has falsely claimed that millions of illegal votes cost him the popular vote in the 2016 election, 56 percent of Republican men and 58 percent of Republican women said voter fraud was the “biggest threat to keeping our elections safe and accurate.” Only 8 percent of Democratic men and 11 percent of Democratic women felt the same way.
Trump’s message was amplified in Kentucky after former Gov. Matt Bevin claimed without any evidence that there were irregularities in the gubernatorial election he lost by a few hundred votes. A group of Bevin supporters attempted to provide evidence of voter fraud, but all of their claims were quickly debunked.
The bill, which would help Adams fulfill a campaign promise, now goes to the full Senate for its consideration.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 2:19 PM.
