Gov. John Lynch let become law without his signature Friday a key change in the new requirement that voters will be asked for a photo ID at the polls this fall. The change means that those casting ballots who don’t have an ID will have to sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that they are who they claim to be and that they live in the voting district. Legislative leaders passed this second bill, HB 1354, after Lynch had vetoed an earlier voter ID bill, SB 289, because that bill would have required those without an ID to answer many more questions on a different affidavit including about their past immigration status. Two weeks ago, the Republican-led Legislature passed the original voter ID law over Lynch’s veto.
Lawmakers then passed this second bill that makes the change in the affidavit. In a statement, Lynch said that under this new law, there are still flaws with the voter ID process. Student ID cards will not be accepted at the polls for all elections after September 2013. “While this bill fixes one problem with SB 289, the underlying problems with the photo ID requirements commencing in September 2013 remain,” Lynch wrote in his statement. “It is my hope that the next legislature will make it a priority to restore appropriate photo ID criteria to the law.”
Full Article: Gov. Lynch allows voter ID law to pass without his signature – NashuaTelegraph.com.