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Senate State Affairs committee advances voter ID proposal to print
Summary
Senator Lenney introduced RS 31849 to require government-issued photo ID for in-person voting instead of allowing personal affidavits; after questions about affidavit usage and absentee voting, the committee voted to send the request to print by voice vote.
BOISE — The Senate State Affairs Committee on Feb. 3 considered RS 31849, a legislative request from Senator Lenney that would require all voters to present valid, government-issued photo identification when voting in person rather than allowing personal affidavits.
Lenney told the committee the proposal would remove the affidavit option and rely on government-issued photo ID as the means of verifying voter identity. Vice Chairman Bernt asked whether the Secretary of State had been consulted and how many people used personal affidavits; Lenney replied that fewer than 1 percent of voters — under 2,000 people — used affidavits. Senator Den Hartog asked whether the removal of the affidavit option would affect absentee voting; Lenney said it would not. Senator Ruchti requested historical information and demographic data on affidavit users; Lenney said affidavit use began in the 1970s and that demographic details would be included in the bill presentation.
Senator Den Hartog moved to send RS 31849 to print; Vice Chairman Bernt seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. The committee did not record an individual roll-call tally in the minutes. The bill will be scheduled for a later presentation where committee members expected additional data on affidavit use and user demographics.
Why it matters: The proposal would change acceptable evidence of identity for in-person voting and could affect a small number of voters who currently use personal affidavits. Committee members pressed for data and consultation with the Secretary of State before further consideration.
What’s next: RS 31849 was sent to print; the sponsor indicated demographic and historical details would accompany the subsequent bill presentation to the committee.
