Accessibility menu
State Representative Carly Melin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0172
For more information contact: Charlie Vander Aarde 651-297-8406
Press/News Releases
MELIN CONDEMNS VOTER ID BILL -- CALLS IT AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT
(ST. PAUL) – The House of Representatives passed a bill last night that would require Minnesota voters to present a state-issued photo ID before being allowed to vote. The Republican-sponsored bill, passed primarily along party lines, would also prohibit the process allowing a neighbor to vouch for a voter who is not registered.
The bill carries a price tag of over $20 million. Much of the cost will be passed down to local government units such as counties, cities and townships. “I am very concerned that another unfunded mandate will be too costly for our communities," explained State Representative Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing). “Local property taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for this bill.”
Non-partisan estimates indicate at least 144,000 Minnesotans do not possess a drivers license or state ID. Seniors, students, veterans, the disabled and people living in shelters and group homes are likely to be most affected. “Great Americans, people who have been legally voting for forty, fifty, sixty years may now not be able to vote because they don’t have a photo ID,” said Melin. “Seniors who may have trouble getting to the DMV should not be stopped from voting. It’s a fundamental right.”
Minnesota’s election system is seen as a national model of fairness and accuracy. “Minnesota has undergone two rigorous recounts in recent years,” said Melin. “Any concerns about election integrity would have been discovered during the $3 million investigation by Senator Norm Coleman’s legal team. Fritz Knaak, Norm Coleman’s recount attorney said, “We were looking for fraud and we just didn’t see it.”
The bill would allow a voter to fill out a provisional ballot if he or she could not show a photo ID. “The process of filling out a provisional ballot would be prohibitive to many Minnesotans, especially the elderly,” noted Melin. A voter would have to show a photo ID or other proof to a county auditor within a week of the election to have their ballot count. “This bill means seniors in Chisholm, Hibbing or Floodwood would have to find a round trip ride to Duluth in order for their vote to count. Republicans should not be making it harder to vote. This could be perceived as voter suppression. I urge the Governor to veto this bill.”
-30-
News Items
- STATE REP. CARLY MELIN APPOINTED TO KEY HOUSE COMMITTEES NAMED VICE-CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY FINANCE AND POLICY COMMITTEE - (Posted: Dec 20 2012 12:00AM)
- MELIN: STATE DISASTER RELIEF IS ON THE WAY - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- REPRESENTATIVE MELIN AND SENATOR TOMASSONI SECURE CENTRAL IRON RANGE SANITARY SEWER DISTRICT GRANT - (Posted: 2012-07-31 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.