The West Virginia Senate is taking up a bill that the House of Delegates passed that would require voters to present identification at the polls before voting.
Lead sponsor Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, said 33 states have some form of voter ID law on the books that vary in what form of identification voters are required to produce. West Virginia falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, with what Lane called a “non-strict photo ID” bill that would accept several different forms of identification as proof of identity.
Under the bill, which passed the House on Feb. 17, a voter would be able to produce a state drivers license, drivers license from another state, non-driver’s state ID card, passport, photo student ID card or a photo ID from an employer as proof of identity. The bill would also provide for voters to present a non-photo Social Security card, Medicare or Medicaid card.
Lane said virtually any eligible voter in the state should be able to come up with one of the forms of identification included in the bill. But if they can’t, they would still be able to vote a provisional ballot under the proposed legislation.
Lane also said a voter would be able to bring someone who has known him or her for at least six months to the polls to vouch that the voter is who he or she purports to be.
House Democrats, however, spoke out against the bill, which they claimed is an attempt to suppress minority voters.
