A revamped version of the Voter ID bill has been circulating around the Texas Legislature.
The latest version of the proposed Voter ID bill includes the creation of a website detailing requirements a statewide education effort led by the Secretary of State and political parties election worker training postings of acceptable forms of ID exemptions for voters who have sworn that he/she does not have an ID because he/she is indigent because of religion or if the voter is 70 or older and never received a birth certificate or lives in a nursing home.
This version of the Voter ID bill also mandates enforcement for elections held after January 1 2011 requires a photo ID and stipulates that voters without photo ID may only cast provisional ballots.
Opponents of voter ID laws exaggerate the burden of obtaining the appropriate identification. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 requires all first-time voters who registered to vote by mail to provide valid photo identification or other documentation at the polls. For those voters without proper identification HAVA requires the states to accept provisional ballots. In all states that have adopted photo ID laws" said David Muhlhausen. Senior Policy Analyst in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation in testimony to the Elections Committee on April 6 2009.
A 2008 Rasmussen survey revealed that 80 of voters believe a photo ID should be required to cast a ballot. Just 13 disagree.
Valid photo ID is required for many credit card purchases applications at banks boarding a plane renting an apartment and to drive a vehicle among many other day-to-day activities.
71 members of the House Republican Caucus issued a statement in April that stressed their support for a Voter ID bill that includes that a photo ID is needed to vote the legislation will take effect at the next possible uniform election will be free of any registration requirements such as same day registration and will increase criminal penalties for voter fraud.
The Voter ID bill is still pending in the House Elections Committee. The Senate passed a companion bill in March.
