Thread: Marlborough May Become First Mass. Town to Require Voter ID

Marlborough may become first Mass. town to require voter ID

By Kendall Hatch/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jan 27, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

MARLBOROUGH — If the city's proposal to require all voters to show identification at polls is approved, it will be the state's first municipality with such a rule.

Despite statewide accusations of voter fraud in the recent Senate election, many argue that the new measure could hinder disenfranchised voters from casting their ballots and would add an unnecessary encumbrance to what is meant to be an easy and accessible right.

"I think it's a solution in search of a problem," said Brenda Wright, the director of the Democracy program at Demos, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization.

Wright said a voter identification law could make voting more difficult for groups that are less likely to have an ID, such as seniors, students, low-income individuals and minorities.

"I think it's a disservice to the goal of making elections convenient and accessible," she said, noting that federal law requires voters who register to vote by mail to include a form of identification.

"There is already that protection in the law," she said. "I don't think new identification provisions are necessary to protect the integrity of elections in Massachusetts.

"You are more likely to be struck by lightning on your way to the polls than you are to commit voter fraud," she said.

On Election Day, Secretary of State William Galvin's office said one voter in Cambridge and one in Brighton reported receiving ballots that were already filled out. Galvin later said he had no report of any major problems at the polls that day. Democrat Martha Coakley, who lost the special election to state Sen. Scott Brown, issued a press release early in the day warning about potential fraud.

Since the enactment of the federal Help America Vote Act required first-time voters to include identification when registering by mail, 25 states have introduced more stringent requirements.

All 25 states require voters to show some form of identification, with seven states stipulating that it must be a photo ID.

In 2008, the Legislature shot down a similar push by Lawrence officials, said state Sen. Stephen Buoniconti, D-Hampden, vice chairman of the Joint Committee on Election Laws.

According to The Eagle-Tribune, lawmakers in 2008 worried that allowing Lawrence to require voters to show ID would set a precedent of allowing towns and cities to have different sets of election laws.

Buoniconti said while he supports voter security and election integrity, he believes that, more often than not, rumors of voter fraud are unsubstantiated.

"Are we seeing a large amount of voter fraud?" he said. "Generally, there isn't a sense of that.

"What has people pause here at the state level is, 'Why do something different if there isn't a problem?"' he said.

Tucked away in the Massachusetts General Laws, however, is a provision that allows poll workers to ask for identification if they do not believe a potential voter is who they say they are, said Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Galvin's office.

Chapter 54, Section 76B says poll workers can request identification, as long as it is not done in a discriminatory manner, said McNiff.

Voter fraud is more widespread than people may think, said Franklin's Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank whose critics describe it as right wing and anti-immigrant.

"Local governments are becoming familiar with voter and identity fraud," she said. "It's reasonable and legitimate for them to be concerned."

She said the current system does not provide any assurance to poll officials or town clerks that people are who they say they are, or are even U.S. citizens.

"There is nothing inappropriate about making sure people who are not eligible to vote are not voting," she said. "It's a sacred process."

Marlborough City Councilor at large Steven Levy, who, along with Ward 2 Councilor Paul Ferro and Ward 3 Councilor Matt Elder presented the proposal, said the measure is a preventative one.

"I have no specific evidence of" voter fraud, he said. "I think this is a reasonable measure to prevent it from happening.

"Ultimately, I don't think it's that big of an encumbrance," he said. "Any time there is an opportunity to strengthen our laws and strengthen the rights of our citizens - and I think this would do that - I would be in favor of that."

(Kendall Hatch can be reached at 508-626-4429 or khatch@cnc.com.)

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/ ... e-voter-ID

Having recently joined the public library here it would appear that one needs more ID to join the library than to vote. Utter madness!!

Wright said a voter identification law could make voting more difficult for groups that are less likely to have an ID, such as seniors, students, low-income individuals and minorities.

Gee, we forgot one important group in that statement -- illegal aliens!

If you don't need ID to get into the white house ,why anywhere else?