Secretary of State Jason Kander admonished the Republican dominated General Assembly Wednesday over legislation passed last year requiring voters to provide a photo ID before they can cast a ballot. House Republicans responded by ditching a planned resolution that would have thanked Kander for his years of service. Kander, a Kansas City Democrat, has long opposed voter ID legislation, arguing that it serves no purpose and yet could disenfranchise certain voters. After more than a decade of trying, GOP lawmakers successfully approved voter ID legislation last year, and a voter ID constitutional amendment was approved by voters in November. In a speech to the Missouri House Wednesday, Kander said he’s heard that lawmakers are considering stiffening the voter ID law. He warned against taking such actions.
“I know some folks here and across the state try to pretend other elections issues would be solved by a new photo ID requirement, but that’s just not true,” Kander said, later adding: “You can protect the integrity of elections without stopping anyone from voting”
If the GOP insists on going down this path, he said, “I guess we’ll see you in court.”
Previously, voters had to provide some form of ID to get a ballot, but the list of acceptable IDs includes some without a photo, such as a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck.
Full Article: Jason Kander criticizes missouri republicans over voter ID | The Kansas City Star.