Lieut. Gov. Bill Bolling cast a tie-breaking vote Monday in support of an amendment to a contested voter identification bill, putting his support behind a Democratic initiative to delay the implementation of stricter voter ID requirements.
The bill seeks to tighten voter ID requirements by removing utility bills, bank statements, government checks and paychecks among others from the list of acceptable forms of ID at voting booths. If the bill is approved by the legislature, the remaining accepted forms of identification will include a voter registration card, a Virginia driver’s license, a concealed handgun permit, a student or employee ID card or any other form of government-issued identification.
The amendment, proposed by Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Richmond, pushes back the effective date of these proposed changes to 2014, and conditions the implementation of the changes on the appropriation of funds to make voters aware of the changes.
The bill has been a point of stark partisan contention, with Democrats staunchly opposed to the original Republican effort.
Virginia Senate Democrats spokesperson Joshua Karp said he did not think the bill would create a more efficient or credible voting process, and was merely an attempt by Republicans to throw resources at a non-existent problem. “Voter impersonation is about as likely as getting hit by lightning,” he said.
But Republicans, Bolling among them, have expressed continual support for the measure. “I think [the bill] is a reasonable effort to tighten voter identification requirements and assure greater integrity in the voting process,” Bolling said in a statement.
By backing the amendment, however, Bolling brings a bipartisan tone to the debate.
Bolling, throughout this year’s legislative session, has said he does not believe any changes to our voter ID requirements should be made this year since the laws were just recently amended. “I am concerned that [without this amendment] this would create unnecessary confusion among voters about what forms of ID are required at the polls,” he said.
Karp said lawmakers owe it to voters to give them time and direction to prepare for the new requirements. “It’s a victory to get the amendment added onto the bill,” he said. “It makes the enactment of the bill contingent on the public’s education. If the public is educated than the Democrats have done what they can.”
The Senate’s final vote on the bill will take place Tuesday.
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