A Broken Arrow state senator wants to change the state’s voter I.D. law after his elderly and veteran constituents were turned away from the polls for not having photo I.D. that was good enough to get a ballot. State Senator Nathan Dahm, R- Broken Arrow, tells FOX23 that he has filed a bill to be considered by the state legislature this coming session that would allow all Oklahomans to use expired driver’s licenses and passports as a valid form of photo I.D. when they go out to vote. “They had to go back and find another form of identification that they had, and we just want to address the situation,” Dahm said. Dahm tells FOX23 that a group of World War II veterans living in his district told him they had carpooled to the polls because some of them couldn’t drive, but when they all arrived at the same precinct, some of them were turned away because they pulled out expired driver’s licenses to use as voter I.D.
Dahm said the group had to return to their homes, dig for an approved form of identification, and then they returned to the polling place later in the day to vote. “I think it would open the opportunity for those elderly people who are not renewing their passports or driver’s licenses because they aren’t driving anymore,” Dahm said about his proposed bill.
Dahm said he supports voter I.D., but he feels the way the law is currently written is punishing those who want exercise their right to vote, especially some residents who’ve fought for that right. He said he doesn’t believe using expired driver’s licenses and passports would open the door to fraud because if someone was trying to commit a fraudulent act with a fake license, they would not use an expiration date that has already passed.
Full Article: Broken Arrow senator wants to change state’s voter I.D. law | www.fox23.com.