House Republicans squashed a Senate plan Wednesday to let voters cast ballots early and sent back to the Senate a bill requiring voters to present a photo ID at the polls.
Under the bill approved by the Republican-controlled House, voters must bring a driver’s license, passport, military ID or other photo ID to the polls in order to cast a ballot. Under current law, voters only have to present a voter registration card that does not include a photo. About 178,000 voters in South Carolina don’t have driver’s licenses or DMV-issued photo IDs, according to the State Election Commission.
The bill provides for free IDs for those who do not have them. House Democrats – along with several other groups, including the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the AARP, League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities – oppose the bill, saying it’s a step backward in voting rights and will create unnecessary burdens for the poor, disabled and others to acquire a photo ID.
Full Article: http://www.thestate.com/2011/04/07/1767671/house-rejects-early-voting-pushes.html