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State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
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Press/News Releases
REP. NORTON INTRODUCES ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK LEGISLATION
(ST. PAUL) — Yesterday, state Representative Kim Norton (DFL – Rochester) introduced HF 2937, a bill that would provide the use of electronic poll books in polling places to verify a voter’s identity. This bill has been offered as a statutory alternative to the controversial Voter ID constitutional amendment that is expected to pass off the House floor tonight. The electronic poll book proposal is a byproduct of Governor Dayton’s bipartisan Election Integrity Task Force.
Electronic poll books would link polling places to the state’s driver’s license database. If the voter’s photo is not in the database, for example, a college student without a driver’s license, a device would scan their student ID to enter them into the system. That same device could take photos of people who might not be in the system.
According to data provided by the Secretary of State, 84,000 current voters do not have photo IDs and an additional 131,000 voters currently have the wrong address on their ID.
“The Voter ID constitutional amendment offered by the majority has serious flaws and could potentially disenfranchise thousands of seniors, students, and other law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Norton. “The electronic poll book alternative would provide voter identity verification while ensuring that all eligible Minnesotans can exercise their constitutional right to vote.
“By inserting this language into our constitution, we are also tying the hands of future legislators and legislatures. Constitutional amendments should be rare, bipartisan, and not used as a tool to go around a governor with whom you disagree. Legislators were elected to work together and compromise, and the bill I have filed would do just that.”
Many of the 84,000 Minnesotans without an ID have had one at one time or another. For example, many seniors who are no longer driving may no longer have a valid photo ID, but because they had an ID in the past, their photo and information would still be in the database. They would show up at the polling place, the worker would bring up their picture and confirm their identity, perhaps update the photo,, and they would then be allowed to vote, without any of the problems that the Voter ID constitutional amendment would pose.
The Voter ID constitutional amendment also carries a significantly higher price tag, with costs to state and local governments of nearly $30-50 million and ongoing costs of $5-8 million per year. Electronic poll books could cost as little as $200,000 and be in place this election year. Finally, as written, the constitutional amendment would eliminate Election-Day registration and absentee voting, putting in place a bureaucratic provisional voting process that could delay election results for days or even weeks — leaving many votes uncounted.
“Same-day registration and absentee voting are the reason why we lead the nation in voter turnout and have one of the best election systems in the country,” added Rep. Norton. “We should be working together to improve our great system, not dismantle it.”
News Items
- Rep. Norton Selected as Vice Chair of House Health and Human Services Finance Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-14 00:00:00)
- It’s Time for Legislature to Get Back to Basics, Balance the Budget Honestly - (Posted: 2012-12-11 00:00:00)
- Second Saturday Coffee Meeting Date Changed to December 9 - (Posted: 2012-12-03 00:00:00)
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