Before the presidential election in 2000, only 11 states required all voters to show some form of identification before casting ballots. By 2006, that number had risen to 25. Oklahoma lawmakers are wanting to be included in that number.
The state House this week passed legislation that would require voters to present photo identification. Some states that imposed such a restriction have become involved in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality. The U.S. Supreme Court could eventually decide.
The Oklahoma vote this week was mostly split along party lines. Republicans say a voter ID rule protects the integrity of the ballot box, but history shows few cases of polling place voter fraud. More of it comes through absentee voting, according to a Pew Center on the States publication.
Democrats usually oppose such rules. They view any restrictions as an attempt to disenfranchise voters, typically the elderly and minorities who may not have such identification. Some liken the measure to a poll tax since it requires some expense for a government-issued ID.
One state required its voters to have an in-state-issued identification card and ran into problems when thousands of out-of-state students attending a private university would have been blocked from voting without another card.
Attempts to pass similar federal legislation have failed. Election officials say it would cost an additional $90,000 per election and require counties to put on more precinct workers to check voter IDs.
We see no real reason for states to tackle this issue. Like immigration, it's a federal issue that doesn't really amount to a problem. States shouldn't feel beholden to try and step up just because some lawmakers found it to be a hot button, election-year issue.
Opinion
Few voter fraud attempts come at the polling place
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