The Rhode Island senate has passed a bill that would require all voters to show photo ID at the polls, a move that risks disenfranchising voters who are disabled, poor, elderly or otherwise less likely to possess the right identification.
As the Associated Press reported, Sen. Paul Jabour (D-Providence), warned his fellow democrats that the bill might prevent some of their supporters from voting:
“There are plenty of voters in the state of Rhode Island that do not have the documentation,” he said. “You want to risk losing those votes? It discriminates against the same people who support you, who have elected you.”
The bill now goes to the House, which passed a similar bill in 2009.
Learn more about Voter ID at https://www.projectvote.org/voter-id.html.