Rupp: Voter ID Legislation Sent to Missouri House for Debate

One of the most important bills introduced during the 2011 legislative session, Senate Bill 3, was passed by the Missouri Senate and has now moved to the House for debate. I’m thrilled that we have established the framework of a voter ID process, if approved by the voters. We have approved the mechanics of a voter ID measure to protect one of the most important liberties we have in the United States — the right to vote.

The makeup of the bill is simple, but would assure that voting in Missouri is kept fair and constitutional. Senate Bill 3 would require Missouri voters to produce a photo ID when casting their ballot. It’s as clear as that. By producing a required photo ID to vote, your vote will not be diluted by someone who is committing voter fraud. You wouldn’t want your vote regarding an important issue to be weakened because someone is acting as an imposter at the polls, unconstitutionally altering the outcome of an issue that matters most to you. Senate Bill 3 is absolutely logical, because in our country, you need to present a photo ID for many purposes. You need a photo ID to cash a check, and even to check out a library book or rent a movie. Presenting a photo ID to conduct one of our most important responsibilities just makes sense.

To make sure all Missourians are able to vote if this law is passed, a provisional ballot would be provided to those who don’t have photo identification when at the voter polls. However, the provisional ballot will only be counted if the voter can prove their identity. Also, the state of Missouri, including any license fee office, would issue at least one form of identification required to vote free of charge to the voter. I want to make sure this legislation does not complicate the act of voting for citizens, and does not put a financial burden on Missourians.

This measure is the simplest way to prevent voter fraud in our state. The right to vote is a liberty that many across the world do not have, so it is our duty to respect this freedom and not take it for granted. I will continue to fully support this legislation, and hope to see it passed by the Legislature and enacted into law.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this issue or any other matter within state government, please visit my website at www.senate.mo.gov/rupp. Here, you can also subscribe to my RSS feed on the main page of my website; it will keep you up to date on all my columns, press releases, and multimedia postings. Always feel free to e-mail me or call my office toll-free at (866) 271-2844.