As House and Senate members work on a compromise photo ID bill, here are some of the issues embedded in the fine print of the proposed constitutional amendment.
"Substantially equivalent eligibility verification" - This requirement for all voters before a ballot is cast and counted could make current same-day registration and voting impossible, says Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. The sponsor, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, says there are ways to verify registrations on the spot - with a photo ID - and allow people to register and vote on Election Day as they do now.
"Provisional ballot" - Voters at the polls without approved ID would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot; they would have to return to the county elections office with ID to ensure that their ballot is counted. Ritchie calls it a separate voting bureaucracy that could delay results; Kiffmeyer says it will be a limited once voters understand the ID requirement.
"In Person" and "Not in Person" - If standards for eligibility must be "substantially equivalent," a key issue involves how to differentiate between those voting at the polls and those using absentee, military and mail-in ballots.
"Valid government-issued photographic identification" - DFLers and county autitors argued for "government-approved" IDs, which would give the Legislature more latitude in deciding what IDs to accept, including IDs from private colleges. Republicans say "government-issued" IDs, while more limited, are more secure.
"Or equivalent" -- These two words were inserted by Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing, on the Senate floor, and would allow for technological alternatives to a photo ID, such as the use of databases by poll workers to identify voters.
Vouching -Registered voters "vouch" for someone seeking to register and vote at the polling place, but who has no proof of residence within the precinct. Vouching, which Republicans see as a gateway to fraud, appears to be impossible under the eligibility requirements in the photo ID proposals, although it is not mentioned in the bill.
Free IDs -- Supporters tout the plan to supply a free ID to anyone who wants one. Critics question the cost of this open-ended commitment and wonder if it will apply to underlying documents such as out-of-state birth and marriage records.
