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Friday, February 20, 2009
Voter Photo ID Tabled
By Jeff Jones
Journal Politics Writer
A Republican-backed bill that would require New Mexico voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot was tabled Thursday by powerful Democratic lawmakers during its first House committee hearing — and its sponsor says the measure is probably dead.
“I knew from the beginning this probably didn't have a great chance. But, you know, hope springs eternal,” Rep. Dianne Miller Hamilton, R-Silver City, said after the 7-5 party-line vote in the Voters and Elections Committee.
Republicans have long contended that voter fraud is a problem in New Mexico and that requiring voters to show photo ID would help prevent it.
Democrats argue that verified instances of voter fraud are rare — and they add that requiring photo ID would disenfranchise some voters, including seniors and tribal members.
Hamilton's bill would require voters who show up at polling places to present one of six types of current photo ID: A state driver's license; a state-issued “photo identification card”; a U.S. passport; a debit or credit card; a military ID; or a public assistance ID card.
The two most powerful Democrats in the House — Speaker Ben Lujan of Santa Fe and Majority Leader W. Ken Martinez of Grants — are members of the Voters and Elections Committee, and they joined five other Democrats in voting to table the latest voter ID bill.
“We already have our process for identification,” Lujan said later. “We have a process in place to report fraud. I so far haven't seen anybody prosecuted.”
Current New Mexico law, approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, allows voters to identify themselves in one of several ways that don't involve a photo ID, including a “verbal or written statement” by the voter giving their name, registration address and year of birth.
Republicans have ridiculed the current law as window dressing.
Meanwhile, there appears to be considerable public support for photo voter ID.
A 2005 Journal poll concerning a photo-ID measure on the ballot in the city of Albuquerque found about 77 percent of those surveyed backed the idea. The Albuquerque measure passed.
The New Mexico Republican Party on Thursday said it commissioned a statewide survey earlier this week that found more than 8 in 10 voters backed photo voter ID.
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