Rejecting Voter ID

Yesterday, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) vetoed a bill that would require voters starting in 2010 to show identification at the polls. In her veto message, she said, "[N]o elected official should support enacting new laws discouraging or disenfranchising any American who has been legally voting for years." Sebelius added that the bill "seeks to solve a problem of voter fraud which does not exist in our state." Earlier this month, Missouri also rejected a voter ID bill, ending its legislative session before passing a bill that would have required citizens to have both a photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote. While the measure passed the House, "amidst strongly voiced local and national opposition," it never reached a vote in the state Senate. Last month, the Supreme Court upheld Indiana's voter ID law, which requires a photo ID before voting. Currently, Arizona is the only state to require proof of citizenship, "a mandate that has led to the rejection of over 38,000 voter registration applications."

Michael H. Drucker
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