Sunday, November 7, 2010

Upgrades in Voter ID Laws Needed

With the November elections over many problems and questions concerning voting procedures in Massachusetts, and in other States across the country, still need to be addressed. One change that should be put in place now - is a requirement for a Voter ID - to be presented by all who wish to excercise their right to vote.

The federal Help America Vote Act mandates that all states require identification from first-time voters who register to vote by mail and did not provide verification with their mail-in voter registration. Twenty six states have broader voter identifiation requirements that what HAVA mandates. In these states, all voters are asked to show identification prior to voting. Eight of these states specify that voters must show a photo ID; the other eighteen states accept additional forms of identification that do not necessarily include a photo. In no state is a voter who cannot produce identification turned away from the polls - all states have some sort of recourse for voters without identifiation to cast a vote. However in Georgia and Indiana, voters without ID vote a provisional ballot, and must return to election officials within a few days and show a photo ID in order for their votes to be counted.

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