Photo ID: A campaign issue?
This afternoon, AG and would-be-governor Jay Nixon weighed in on the resolution, now in the Mo. Senate, that would ask voters whether the state constitution should be amended to require a photo ID at the polls.
Nixon, in an e-mailed statement:
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. Over the years, millions of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to earn and defend voting rights. As elected leaders, we should work to increase voting and participation in the democratic process, not create new unnecessary roadblocks. With just five days left in the legislative session, it’s unfortunate that Republican leaders are focused on making it harder for Missourians to vote instead of making it easier for middle-class families to afford health care or higher education. Then again, after four years of moving our state backwards, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by our opponents’ misplaced priorities.”
It’s not exactly a surprise that Nixon would oppose such a measure; the debate on this has pretty much been along party lines, with Democrats going against.
Whether it becomes a big campaign issue is another matter. Democrats, such as Nixon, might not find too much support in a general election contest for their position,as even opponents acknowledge that average voters have little trouble themselves coming up with the ID; if the measure gets on the ballot a lot of observers expect it to pass.
And while gubernatorial candidates could serve as mouthpieces for or against the ballot measure, they don’t really have direct influence. Perhaps the closest they would come to this issue is selecting the state judges that might one day rule on a legal challenge.


(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
The right to vote is indeed the cornerstone of our democracy. And the right to vote is cheapened when the influence of legitimate voters is diluted by those who access the ballot box unlawfully. Democrats oppose these measures because when election fraud does take place, it is rarely in areas where Republicans stand to benefit.