House passes voter ID bill

The Idaho House passed a bill requiring voters to show ID with a landslide vote on Monday.

House legislators voted 64 to 6 in favor of bill 496, which would require voters to show a form of ID or sign an affidavit in order to receive a ballot.

If the bill passes the Senate, it would take effect this July.

"It's a good thing," said House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, who sponsored the bill. "It had a good vote and it's on its way to the Senate."

Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, said he voted against the bill because he feared it might deter some voters from heading to the polls if they don't have IDs.

"Since we didn't have any evidence there's a (voter fraud) problem here, I didn't think it was really that necessary," Sayler said.

But Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, said the law would be another safeguard for the voting process.

"When you walk into a voting place, all you have to do is show two pieces of proof you live in the county. But how do you know that is the person they say they are?" Clark said. "It's a good bill, and needed, too."