A lawmaker proposing to require Nebraska voters to show identification before casting ballots laid out his plan Monday to the full Legislature as opponents prepared to filibuster the measure.
“I introduced this legislation in order to further protect the integrity and reliability of our elections,” said Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen. (LB239) would do so, he said, by deterring and detecting voter fraud, and ensuring confidence in the voting process.
“I have always felt it unusual that when I go to my polling place, I am not asked to prove who I am. Many others who have contacted me on this issue have shared the same thoughts with me,” he said. “In order to protect the sacred ‘one person, one vote’ tradition in our country, I think it is important that we do all that we can to ensure the integrity of our voting process.”
Janssen’s proposal was introduced last year and originally would have required people to show ID when they vote as a way to head off voter fraud and ensure Nebraska uses what he calls the “best practices” when holding elections.
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But opponents said that his plan would disenfranchise some voters — particularly the poor, the elderly and minorities — who do not have driver’s licenses, because they would have to pay $26.50 to get state-issued photo IDs. They said requiring people to buy a state ID in order to vote would amount to an illegal poll tax.
Janssen has since amended the bill to require the Secretary of State to inform local election commissioners how many people in their counties are registered to vote but do not have driver’s licenses or state ID cards.
The bill would require local election commissioners to mail those people so-called “acknowledgment of registration,” which would allow them to vote. There are an estimated 30,000 such voters statewide. Mailing the acknowledgments would cost 50 cents each, he said.
Voters without IDs or acknowledgment cards would be given provisional ballots that would not be counted until their voter registration was verified.
Omaha Sen. Brenda Council fired the first round in the filibuster.
“Voter identification should not be required of anyone,” Council said, adding that the measure “is trying to address a problem that does not exist in this state.
“I have been unable to unearth one single incident of reported voter impersonation in the state of Nebraska,” Council said. “I am unaware of any cases of voter fraud in the state of Nebraska.”
Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala said the bill makes sense.
“ID is required for all sorts of activities,” he said. “Even to get a library card, you have to show an ID.”
Janssen said requiring voter photo ID was a key recommendation of the Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, in their 2005 report, titled “Building Confidence in U.S. Elections.”
A coalition comprised of at least 23 groups is opposing the measure. The coalition includes AARP Nebraska, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, Bold Nebraska, the Center for People in Need, Common Cause Nebraska, Nebraska ACLU, Nebraska Advocacy Services, Nebraska Appleseed and the Nebraska Association of County Officials.
Adam Morfeld, executive director of Nebraskans for Civic Reform, said earlier that Janssen fails to take into consideration the cost of printing and processing more provisional ballots, increased poll worker training and hiring additional staff, among other things. He also said only people who are in the voter registration database but do not have Nebraska driver’s licenses or ID cards would receive free registration cards every two years. He said an estimated 130,000 Nebraskans have invalid Nebraska IDs that do not list their current addresses.
Janssen has rejected that theory.
“I did not introduce this bill to create a wedge issue,” he said. “I understand and accept that some of my colleagues ideologically disagree with me on this issue.”
