How important is your vote?

By Guest Columnist Nancy Copenhaver

On May 3, a committee hearing was held in the Missouri Senate for a measure which has been debated heavily in the Legislature for the last four years, passed once and overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court.  It is a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a state-issued picture identification card to vote in elections.  This year, a new twist has been added by lumping an early-voting procedure into the mix, along with making it easier for overseas servicemen and women to vote.  Proposing a constitutional amendment (which means it goes to a vote of the people) is one way of bypassing the possible veto of the Governor, as it is not required that the Governor sign a bill for a constitutional amendment.  It is usually pretty clear in the Missouri Legislature when a bill is purely politically motivated—the vote in the House is usually strictly along party lines—as this bill has been nearly from the beginning.  Republicans want it, Democrats don’t, here’s why.

Although most voters have a Missouri-issued photo ID (like an unexpired driver’s license), there are many who do not.  There are an estimated 200,000 voters in Missouri lacking such identification.   Many voters who drove at one time no longer have a license, some have expired licenses, and some have lost licenses.  Some residents (such as college students) have licenses from other states.  Many city residents (and the handicapped, and elderly) don’t have driver’s licenses.  Getting a state-issued ID requires proof of birth (birth certificate) which can be difficult and costly to obtain if a person was born out of state, at home, or if records are missing (fires, floods, tornadoes, etc).  Then there’s the problem of the name on the birth certificate matching your current name (due to marriages, divorce) and producing all this documentation can be a real hassle.  And, although the state might be required to furnish the ID without cost, the cost (and hassle) of supporting documents could disenfranchise many who can’t afford it or are unable to maneuver through the bureaucracy.  And, does our state really need such additional costs at this time of severe budget constraints?

Currently, Missouri voters must register to vote and show some identification at the polls proving who they are—which can be a utility bill with the correct address, a driver’s license, a student ID, or other documents.  Republicans say the new measure is required to fight voter fraud, yet both former Republican Secretary of State Matt Blunt and current Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan have indicated that is not a problem in Missouri.  So the only reason to go to this added trouble (and by the way, added expense which Missouri can’t afford) is to “suppress” voter turnout.  It is commonly recognized that more elderly and minority city residents (St. Louis and Kansas City particularly) tend to vote Democratic.  Making it more difficult for those folks to vote can make a difference in a close election—and we all know how close many elections are in Missouri.

This year’s attempt by the Republican Legislature to pass a Voter ID bill is even sneakier, by adding provisions that many legislators (and Missouri citizens) of both parties would support, no-excuse early voting and making it easier for our soldiers to cast ballots.  Of course, this measure probably violates the constitutional prohibition of a bill that contains multiple subjects, but that doesn’t seem to matter to those determined to win elections at all costs.  If such a measure passes the Missouri Senate (it has already passed the Missouri House) it would be very difficult (and costly) to educate the voters as to the dangers of this measure.  The best solution is that it dies for lack of time in the Senate or is filibustered by a true statesman.  A call to YOUR state senator opposing this bill would be in order to assure that we truly remain a state that believes that every citizen matters.

Nancy Copenhaver is a retired Moberly teacher who has served in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently a Moberly City Councilperson.  She remains active in a number of political and civic organizations.