The latest voter ID attempt in Maine appears doomed to fail
Source: Bangor Daily News
AUGUSTA, Maine — Another push to require Maine voters to provide photo identification at the polls launched Wednesday in the Legislature, adding a new layer of deja vu to years of similar attempts.
Republican Rep. Brad Farrin’s bill, LD 121, would require voters to show a photo ID at the polls unless a municipal clerk could vouch for the person’s identity in person and requires the secretary of state’s office to provide nondriver identification cards to anyone who wants one at no charge.
The Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee heard hours of testimony about the bill on Wednesday, setting the stage for another political showdown on a concept that divides Republicans and Democrats in Maine and nationally. While Republicans frame the issue as a way to guard the voting process against as-yet-undetected fraud and mistakes, Democrats argue that it is an attempt to suppress voter turnout and swing close elections.
“I am sure you will hear from opponents of this bill today, and they will use fear tactics to make their case,” said Farrin during testimony. “They will talk about voter suppression, confusion at the polls, burden on poll workers and the expense to implement the process, just to name a few. I don’t believe any of these arguments should impede us from moving this legislation forward.”
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Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2017/02/15/the-point/the-latest-voter-id-attempt-in-maine-appears-doomed-to-fail/
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