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Bill would require voters to show ID at polls

By Tom Bell tbell@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- Republicans are lining up to support a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls. With the support of GOP Gov. Paul LePage, and more than 120 Republican lawmakers listed as co-sponsors, the legislation is poised to become one of the big partisan fights of the session.

Supporters say Maine needs to take action to prevent voter fraud and assure the legitimacy of those who are elected.

Opponents -- including the League of Women Voters of Maine, the Maine chapter of the AARP, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Disabilities Rights Center -- say the bill provides a costly solution to a problem that doesn't exist in Maine and would disenfranchise many people.

The Legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday held a public hearing on the bill, L.D. 199.

Michael Coleman of Old Orchard Beach noted that people must show photo identification to rent a movie, open a bank account or enter a federal building.

He said the bill would protect the principle of "one man, one vote."

"If an unqualified person casts a ballot, that person is stealing the franchise from us," he said. "I see no reason to oppose this bill unless to facilitate fraud."

The bill's sponsor, Richard Cebra, R-Naples, said the bill would protect the integrity of the ballot and the rights of lawful Maine voters.

When asked to provide an example of voter fraud, he declined to answer.

According to the Maine League of Women Voters, there have been two cases of voter fraud in Maine in the past 30 years, and both cases were inadvertent mistakes that would not have been prevented by a requirement for photo identification.

An estimated 100,000 Maine voters do not have valid photo identification, and many of them are elderly and poor, according to Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters.

To avoid violating the 24th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids poll taxes, the state would be required to provide people with free photo identification, she said.

In Indiana, which instituted a similar law in 2007, the state has since spent $10 million to provide people with identification documents, she said.

Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, who serves on the committee, said in an interview that she didn't understand why Republicans are pushing for the bill at a time when they are trying to reduce regulations elsewhere in state governnent. She said voter fraud is a myth.

Many of the same concerns about voter fraud and access were raised later in the day when the committee held a hearing on L.D. 203, a bill sponsored by Rep. Gary Knight, R-Livermore Falls, which would prohibit same-day voter registration.

Supporters said it would allow town clerks more time to assure that voters are properly registered. Opponents said the bill would reduce voter turnout because many people don't decide to vote until Election Day.