Letter to the Editor for Jan. 20

In support of requiring photo voter ID

In 2005, the bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform report proposed requiring photo ID in order to vote. It also stated that historically, fraud is more likely with the outspread of absentee/mail in voting. In 2021 a partisan bill, HR1, was approved in the House with only Democrats voting approval. How and why did a bipartisan recommendation turn into partisan legislation? The answer is photo ID and absentee/mail in voting.

Is requesting Photo ID a form of voter suppression? No, currently 46 of the 47 European nations, Canada, and Mexico all require government-issued photo ID to vote. A recent Rasmussen survey showed that 80% of Americans favor a requirement for photo ID. The 2018 PEW survey reported that majority of Americans, 77% favor photo ID.

With regard to absentee/mail-in voting most nations require the citizen who wants to vote via absentee to show up with photo ID in order to obtain a ballot. Members of Congress and the president seem to think this is a problem in USA. Why?

Why does HR1 prohibit requiring voter ID and require states to establish permanent mail-in voting? It seems to me their concern is not for election integrity but they have crafted a spin story for re-election. HR1 is titled "For the People Act of 2021" but clearly it is for "Re-Election in 2022 and 2024" .

Joe Gable

Warwick

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Support requiring voters to show a photo ID