Tag: Voter ID

Voter ID Bill Heads to Governor's Desk

Update: Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 11:01 p.m.:

Members of the Senate have also approved the conference committee version of House Bill 4013, requiring voters to show some form of identification at their polling places. The bill passed 26 to 8.

House Bill 4013 now heads to Governor Tomblin for further consideration.

Update: Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 10:23 p.m.

The House of Delegates passed House Bill 4013, the voter ID bill after it was sent to a conference committee. The bill passed in the chamber 77 to 21 with no debate.

Original Post:

A conference committee, made up of three members of the House and three members of the Senate, have agreed to amend House Bill 4013, a bill that would require voters to show some form of identification before casting a ballot. 

In the agreed to conference committee report, a voter could use any government issued card, whether it contains a photograph or not. They can also use:

  • A health insurance card
  • A utility bill
  • A bank card or bank statement

Conferees removed from the list the ability to use a credit card or pay check to verify a voters identity, however, a poll worker or any other adult who has known the voter for more than 6 months could verify their identity without signing an affidavit as required in a previous version of the bill. 
The conference bill also includes an automatic voter registration process to be housed in the Division of Motor Vehicles. The Secretary of State’s Office is required to write legislative rules detailing the process, which will need the approval of the Legislature during the 2017 session.

Currently, DMV workers are required to ask a a potential voter to opt in to the registration process. This bill would require them to opt out.

“I hate to lose any of the options that we had because I think if we’re going to make a voter ID law, let’s make it as easy for the voter to comply as possible,” Democratic Sen. Corey Palumbo said after the committee finished their work.

Palumbo had sponsored the amendment expanding the list of verifying documents in the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, but some of his provisions were removed. 

“Narrowing it down at all troubles me a little bit, but honestly I thought we were going to have to give up more than we did.”

Palumbo had also amended the bill to include the automatic voter registration provision,, which was kept and only slightly amended to include the rule making authority more clear. 

The conference committee’s negotiated bill will still need the votes of both chambers before it can be sent to the governor.

House Refuses Senate Amendments to Voter ID Bill

Editor’s Note: For the latest updates on the final day of the legislative session, be sure to keep checking our live blog.

In the final day of the 2016 Legislative Session, the House of Delegates has refused to adopt the Senate’s amendments to House Bill 4013, the voter ID bill.

House Bill 4013 as approved in the House included a list of valid forms of identification beyond just photo IDs, but Senators worked to expand the list even further.

The Senate amended version of the bill allows a voter to use:

  • A valid drivers license from West Virginia or any state
  • A valid military ID
  • A valid employer issued ID from any federal, state, county, or municipal subdivision
  • A Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, or TANF card or a birth certificate
  • A voter registration card
  • A hunting or fishing license or a concealed carry permit
  • A utility bill, paycheck, health insurance card, or credit or debit card

The bill also allows an adult who has known the voter for more than 6 months to sign an affidavit certifying a voter’s identity. That person can be a poll worker.
As of 11:15 a.m. Saturday, there has been no announcement for a conference committee for the bill. If put into a conference committee, the bill will be debated between three members of the House and three members of Senate to decide upon a compromised version of the bill.

W.Va. Senate Approves Voter ID Bill with Expanded List of Verifying Documents

The West Virginia Senate voted 20 to 14 Friday to approve a bill that would require voters to show some form of identification before casting a ballot. 

House Bill 4013 as approved in the House of Delegates included a list of valid forms of identification beyond just photo IDs, but Senators worked to expand the list even further.

The Senate amended bill allows a voter to use:

  • A valid drivers license from West Virginia or any state
  • A valid military ID
  • A valid employer issued ID from any federal, state, county, or municipal subdivision
  • A Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, or TANF card or a birth certificate
  • A voter registration card
  • A hunting or fishing license or a concealed carry permit
  • A utility bill, paycheck, health insurance card, or credit or debit card

The bill also allows an adult who has known the voter for more than 6 months to sign an affidavit certifying a voter’s identity. That person can be a poll worker. 
Some Democrats argued on the Senate floor that the provision is unnecessary in West Virginia and puts an additional burden on voters who may be deterred from showing up to their polling place.

“Yet again, this is a solution looking for a problem,” Sen. Mike Romano said. “You have to show a photo ID when you register to vote. This is unnecessary.”

Senate Judiciary Chair Charles Trump took issue with the statements, saying West Virginia has a long, notable history of voter fraud that even sitting West Virginia Supreme Court Justices have written about. 

“There is more than one way to disenfranchise a voter,” he said. “It is possible to be disenfranchised by having your vote canceled out by the vote of someone who doesn’t have the legal right to vote.”

Trump said if the bill were signed into law, West Virginia would join 33 other states who have approved voter ID laws. Trump argued that the expanded list of forms of ID would make West Virginia one of the least restrictive states with a voter ID law.

Because of the changes approved by Senators, the bill will return to the House for members to consider the expanded list of identification documents.

House Passes Voter ID Bill

The House of Delegates passed a bill that would require West Virginians to show a form of identification at their polling place.House Bill 4013, the voter…

The House of Delegates passed a bill that would require West Virginians to show a form of identification at their polling place.
House Bill 4013, the voter ID bill, passed 64 to 34 Friday.

The bill requires West Virginia voters to show a photo ID or some kind of other official documentation to prove their identity before voting at the polls. A voter without proper documentation will be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot.

Supporters of the bill say it will help avoid voter fraud. Those opposed say it will keep people from the polls, bringing in another step to the voting process and possibly increase wait times.

On Thursday, Delegates adopted an amendment proposed by Democratic Delegate Mike Pushkin from Kanawha County. The amendment allows someone over the age of 70 to renew their license at the DMV with a religious family heirloom to show proof of birth.

House Bill 4013 now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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