Opinion

Voting important enough to require identification

A Daily Mail editorial from the Charleston Gazette-Mail 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Should eligible voters be required to show a government-issued photo identification before casting their ballots?

That’s a question legislators across the country have attempted to tackle for years, citing voter fraud as the primary reason for concern.

In the West Virginia Legislature, where the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday passed a voter ID bill, Republicans say requiring identification to vote is a necessity.

“The idea is that we be proactive and prevent something from happening,” said Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, and the bill’s lead sponsor.

According to Lane, 96 percent of adults in West Virginia have some form of government-issued identification. Meanwhile, according to Secretary of State and U.S. Census Bureau figures, about 65 percent of West Virginians are registered to vote.

That seemingly nullifies Democrats’ argument that the bill serves only to disenfranchise voters…

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