On Thursday, legislation to require a photo ID for voting passed the Minnesota Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee. The bill, Senate File 3571, would require a photo ID for both in-person and absentee voting.

“I strongly believe a voter ID requirement will help protect Minnesotans against voter fraud and aid in securing the integrity of our elections,” said Senator Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson), the bill’s chief author. “There is nothing more sacred than an individual’s right to vote. Requiring identification to vote not only enhances the integrity of the election, but also protects that individual’s constitutional right to vote.”

The legislation would require voters to produce valid, government-issued photo identification when voting in-person or by absentee ballot. In addition, the legislation establishes a new voter identification card to be provided free-of-charge to individuals who currently lack proper identification. Individuals unable to provide valid proof of identity or residence would be able to cast a provisional ballot, affording the voter a period of time in which they could obtain valid identification. Same-day voter registration would also remain intact. 

In the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Crawford v. Marion County, the Court held that an Indiana law requiring a photo ID to vote did not violate the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the Court held there are “legitimate state interests” in voting laws requiring photo ID, including deterring, detecting, and preventing voter fraud, improving and modernizing election procedures, and safeguarding voter confidence in elections. Finally, the Court also held that federal law authorizes states to use a photo identification requirement to determine an individual’s eligibility to vote. 

“There will be no Minnesotan disenfranchised because of this law. In fact, the opposite is true: the vote of every single eligible Minnesotan will be counted and protected,” said Senator Newman. “Nearly everything we do in life requires an ID – and with Minnesota having among the least strict requirements for voting in the nation, this is just another tool we can use to protect our elections in Minnesota.”

The bill now awaits a hearing by the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

Senator Scott Newman represents communities in McLeod, Meeker, Sibley, and Wright counties in the Minnesota Senate. He serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.