Support the voter ID bill

I am in support of a reasonable voter ID bill.  As I read the language of HB 496 I believe it is reasonable in that if a person doesn't have an ID they can still vote by signing an affidavit. Without the safety net of the affidavit language you would likely be excluding some rightful voters, such as seniors who may not have a valid ID anymore, or anyone who didn't realize their license had expired and they didn't have alternate ID. In those cases their vote will still be counted on Election Day just like all the others and without a delay or the use of a "provisional ballot" as in some other states.

If someone wasn't truthful they would be in jeopardy for committing a felony for perjury which is consistent with other sanctions for perjury and gives the new law real teeth. Ten, or maybe even as recent as 5 or 6 years ago, I would have felt different. Like many in Idaho I'm not wild about intrusions into our privacy, and having to show an ID at polling site where you may have voted for decades seemed unreasonable.

But I don't feel that way anymore. For one thing, we have so many new people that it's rare for poll workers to know everyone at their polling sites these days.Also, the reality is that many of our new neighbors and voters have come from states where voter ID is already in place, and they just have a matter-of-fact sense of expectation that we have it, too.

While I strongly disagree with the proposition that we have any kind of wholesale fraud going on in Idaho elections, I certainly recognize that there can be the perception of fraud if people don't view the process as "tight enough" to protect the system and our voters. If you have to show an ID just to rent a movie or cash a check, why should there be any less of a standard for something as important as picking our elected officials or passing levies or bond issues?

Bottom line, in this day and age I think you would have a harder time trying to justify to the public why you wouldn't want some kind of a voter ID provision vs. keeping on with the status quo. Yes it will take some adjustments and extra time for our poll workers and citizens alike. However, I believe that once we've had it for a few election cycles it will be just be seen as part of the ordinary but necessary process to protect the integrity of our voting system.

Please ask your representatives to support House Bill 496.Dan English is a Democrat and has served as Kootenai County's Clerk-Auditor since 1995. He is past President of the Idaho Association of County Recorders and Clerks. He represents Idaho on the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission's National Standards Board and is currently Chair of the 110 member board.