An Army Major who worked with military voters for the Minnesota Secretary of State is criticizing the proposed photo ID constitutional amendment for not exempting these voters from the ID requirement.

Todd Pierce, with 38 years of military service and four years work under Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and his predecessor, Mary Kiffmeyer, said in a newspaper column that he believes the amendment would "turn the clock back" for overseas military voting.

In an article for ECM Newspapers, Pierce wrote that he is worried that overseas military voters would again have to find someone to vouch for their identity under the new provision, and that a military ID card will not suffice at the polls because it may not show the soldier's current address.

Pierce also said in his work with the Office from 2004-2008, he was in charge of receiving and forwarding allegations of illegal voting. "In two national elections, there was not a single substantiated complaint of anyone intentionally committing voter fraud," he said.

Dan McGrath of ProtectMyVote,com, which supports photo ID, responded that the amendment will not change current overseas voting rules, and the ID required for in-person voting will not have to bear the voter's current address.

"The author has failed to read and understand the amendment," McGrath responded.