Voting may require photo IDs
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lthough Utah has been spared much of the controversy that surrounds this issue, whether a photo ID should be required to vote is a debate that the U.S. Supreme Court will decide.
The integrity of the voting process has been a controversial topic since many people thought their votes were not counted in the hotly disputed 2000 general election, in which President Bush defeated then-Vice President Al Gore. Some states have since passed laws requiring a photo ID before voters can cast ballots. Detractors claim that asking for a photo ID is a subtle form of vote suppression against minorities or others such as the poor, who -- as groups -- have faced discrimination at the voting booth.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether an Indiana law that requires a photo ID is constitutional. It is likely there will be even more photo ID voter laws challenged in the future.
In Utah, a photo ID is required when requesting an absentee ballot or to vote early. Sometimes it may be necessary to show a photo ID if a Utah voter casts a ballot for the first time or is unknown to a precinct voting judge.
Pat Beckstead, Davis County elections director, told Standard-Examiner reporter Loretta Park that more voters are telling Davis election officials they want their identification verified.
"The No. 1 complaint we hear is, we don't ask for a driver's license or photo ID," Beckstead told the Standard's Park.
Due to the recent national election strife, Utah voters should be prepared someday to carry photo ID with them to the polls as a requirement. Weber State University's Frank Guliuzza, chairman of the university's department of political science and philosophy, told Park "the concern is the integrity of the elections."
Guliuzza added that we may need photo IDs as soon as next year.
Our advice is for voters to always bring a photo ID.
If for some reason you don't have a photo ID, there are other forms of ID that may help voters satisfy wary judges.
Mark Thomas, special assistant to the lieutenant governor, suggested to the Standard's Park that showing mail addressed to you, such as a utility bill, is also a form of ID.
Voting is too precious a right to be corrupted. If a photo ID assures the process stays honest, it is a rule worth having.
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