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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. John E. Peterson (PA-05) today joined the majority of his House colleagues in supporting legislation to preserve the integrity of federal elections by taking important steps to prevent voter fraud. The bill, the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006, would require individuals to present a photo ID before voting in federal elections by 2008.
“If it takes a valid photo ID to board a plane, cash a check, or sign up for a local library card, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for similar verification before someone steps into the voting booth,” said Peterson. “Voter fraud is a very real phenomenon, and, in truth, our nation’s cities and urban centers tend to be most susceptible. This measure will help preserve the integrity of the election process and put in place effective safeguards against such fraud, in the process ensuring that rural Americans will continue to have our voices heard and our interests defended.”
At its core, the bill, H.R. 4844, would amend current law so that every resident voting in the 2008 federal elections would first be required to present a photo ID before casting a ballot. The bill also mandates that the necessary photo ID be made available free of charge to individuals who cannot afford to pay, and further authorizes funds to reimburse states for the cost of these programs.
“Under this bill, no citizen will be denied the opportunity to sign-up for and acquire the most basic form of identification,” added Peterson. “And because states are required to provide them at no cost to folks that can’t afford them, there aren’t a whole lot of excuses left for people who don’t want to get one.”
Beginning in 2008, voters who arrive at polling stations without the required ID, will be given a provisional ballot and 48 hours to present a qualifying ID, and people voting by mail must include a photocopy of photo ID. It exempts from these requirements military members who vote by absentee ballot because they have been deployed overseas.
Using a photo ID for voting purposes is a central recommendation contained in the bipartisan commission on Federal Election Reform, headed by former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, and Former Secretary of State James Baker, a Republican. In the old days and in small towns “where everyone knows each other,” the report argues, “voters did not need to identify themselves. But in the United States, where 40 million people move each year, and in urban areas where some people do not even know the people living in their own apartment building let alone their precinct, some form of identification is needed.”
Having passed the House today by a vote of 228-196, the bill will now be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
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