Instead of ensuring elections can be held amid coronavirus, Kentucky GOP passes new voter ID bill
NewsColony
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With virtually no notice, Kentucky Republicans revised their photo voter ID bill to make it much more restrictive and passed it out of the legislature on Thursday before the final bill version was even made public—and after Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear had ordered the state capitol closed to the public to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Because Republicans can override Beshear’s all-but-certain veto with just a simple majority, this bill will almost certainly become law.
Before the coronavirus hit crisis levels, Republicans had passed different versions of the bill in each chamber, with the state House offering a less strict alternative to the Senate’s. Republicans, without warning, then unveiled a compromise version that eliminated a House provision letting voters who lacked a valid photo ID provide a sworn statement explaining in their own words why they couldn’t obtain ID, instead limiting voters to a list of pre-approved excuses. The final bill also bans a number of IDs from other states, which could effectively function as a poll tax as some previously eligible voters would have to pay to obtain a Kentucky ID.
Perversely, these stepped-up requirements come at the same time that the state has closed driver’s license offices and county clerks’ offices to slow the virus, making it impossible for many voters who lack a valid ID to obtain one. Voting rights advocates are all but certain to sue once Republicans pass the bill into law.
This voting restriction comes despite the fact that Kentucky, which has postponed its primaries to June over coronavirus fears, is nowhere near ready to handle voting amid the pandemic. Kentucky is one of just a handful of states that not only requires an excuse to vote absentee by mail but also offers no in-person early voting.
Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams has backed a bill introduced earlier this month with several provisions to make it easier to vote, such as removing the absentee excuse requirement, but given that Republican lawmakers have instead chosen to pass new voting restrictions amid this ongoing public health emergency, its prospects appear slim.
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Source: Daily Kos NewsColony: Politics
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