Many seniors in the Henrico and metro-Richmond area may remember the story reported several days ago by this examiner that dealt with the voter I.D. bill being considered by the state senate.
The vote on the voter I.D. bill came today after the longest floor debate so far this year. Republicans pushing that the law would prevent voter fraud, and Democrats calling the law a return to 'Jim Crow' politics made for heated discussion on both sides.
The vote ended up a 20-20 tie, splitting the senate evenly. Lt. Governor Bolling ended up casting the tie-breaking vote to get the bill passed.
Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Stephen H. Martin (R-Chesterfield), requires that anyone voting in an election in Virginia present a proper form of identification before casting a ballot.
Voters without the proper I.D. can cast a provisional ballot, and are responsible for verifying their identity before the ballot can be certified. Then the vote can be counted.
Here is a short list of the types of identification that will be accepted by voting officials at the polls.
- Drivers license
- Social security card
- Utility bill
- Employee I.D. card or badge
- I.D. card from a four-year college
The bill specifically says that a picture identification is not a requirement. Supporters say too, this bill should not be a burden on voters. The only thing this legislation is meant to do is curb voter fraud.
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