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Committee Hears Cleanup Bill Clarifying Free Voter‑Only Photo ID Procedure
Summary
SB660 would clarify the procedure by which eligible voters obtain a free, voter‑only photo ID from the DMV and remove a statutory catch‑22 that could prevent first‑time voters from getting the voucher; Deputy Secretary Brendan O'Donnell said the statute has long allowed such vouchers and the bill would update clerk certification language.
Claire Ruard introduced SB660 as a targeted, Secretary‑of‑State‑requested cleanup to make explicit that eligible voters can obtain a photo ID at no cost for voting purposes and to clear a procedural problem that left some prospective voters unable to get a voucher.
Deputy Secretary of State Brendan O'Donnell told the committee the existing statute already provides a voucher process: clerks issue a voucher and the Secretary of State reimburses the Division of Motor Vehicles from the state election fund for the card’s actual issuance cost. The bill would replace the current clerk certification (that the person is already on the voter checklist) with a requirement that the clerk certify the applicant has provided proof of domicile so new voters are not caught in a circular requirement.
Representative Wilhelm and other members asked about the fee flow and whether the $20 statutory charge is effectively reimbursed; O'Donnell explained the voucher certifies the fee is paid from the election fund and the DMV is reimbursed. Sarah Ortiz of Open Democracy testified in support, calling SB660 a “narrow practical fix” to the catch‑22 that can prevent new voters from obtaining a voucher.
The committee recorded support across written submissions: seven in favor on the blue sheet and 85 online in favor with three opposed. The public hearing closed with no immediate committee action taken.
What happens next: With bipartisan support in the Senate and consensus that SB660 is a technical cleanup, the committee may be inclined to report the bill out after confirming reimbursement language and clerk certification wording in a work session or technical amendment.
