Heated public hearing on SB 2 10: sponsors seek voter referral to require in‑person election day voting and photo ID; hundreds testified

Sen. David Brock Smith introduced Senate Bill 2 10 on March 31 as a referral to Oregon voters that would make in‑person voting on election day the standard method for elections and require electors to present government‑issued photo identification for in‑person voting and when requesting a ballot to be returned by mail. The bill summary presented to the Senate Committee on Rules sets an operative date of Jan. 1, 2028 and says the act would be referred to the people for approval or rejection at the next general election.

Key provisions described in the public summary and by the sponsor include: establishing in‑person voting on the date of the election as the standard method; requiring government‑issued photo ID for in‑person voting and for requesting mail ballots; allowing voters to request a mail ballot no later than 21 days before election day if they cannot vote in person; retaining vote‑by‑mail provisions for military and overseas electors; giving the Secretary of State rulemaking authority to set minimum numbers of voting…