Virginia Democrats are urging Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) to veto a pair of voter ID bills after the General Assembly this week stripped out a provision the governor had added to make the measures less stringent. Among the most hotly contested legislation of the session, the bills were touted by Republicans as a way to ensure the integrity of elections but bitterly opposed by Democrats as attempts to suppress the minority vote.
As originally passed, the bills required voters to present identification but also expanded the types of acceptable forms to include such things as utility bills, bank statements and four-year college IDs. Those who come to the polls without identification would have to cast provisional ballots, which would only be counted if the voter later returned with ID or sent a copy electronically. McDonnell amended the bills to add any college identification, including two-year schools. The House and Senate signed off on that change when it reconvened this week to pass a budget and consider McDonnell’s seven vetoes and amendments he made to more than 100 bills.
Full Article: Voter ID bill in McDonell’s hands – The Washington Post.