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Politics & Government

Video: Golden Valley Rep Says Voter ID Bill Comes at a Personal Cost

Rep. Lyndon Carlson says there's an unmeasured cost to the old and young.

A constitutional amendment that would require all Minnesota voters to show a photo id at the polling place has been making its way through the state legislature. If passed, it would go to voters to approve in the 2012 elections.

State Representative Lyndon Carlson (DFL - 45B) is firmly opposed to requiring voters to show ID at the polling place.  Many lawmakers point to the monitory cost of the bill, saying that Minnesota doesn't have the money to pay for it, but Rep. Carlson used a personal story to illustrate the potential personal costs a bill like this may have.

Telling the story of how his mother, who was delivered at home in 1917, navigated the complicated bureaucratic system to obtain her birth certificate, Rep. Carlson expressed the plight many older Minnesotans may face.

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"It took us two years before we were able to get all that resolved and get her a birth certificate so she could get her passport," Carlson explained to the Minnesota House of Representatives on Monday.  "It took several trips to Austin, Minnesota, and a whole lot of work, and now we are making that kind of requirement for people in a situation where they don't have a birth certificate readily available."

Illustrating his point further, Rep. Carlson also quoted statistics from the League of Women Voters that stated 18% of senior citizens and about 20% of young people between 18-26 don't have picture IDs.

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Rep Carlson's point?

"A lot of people won't have the resources or motivation to go through all that to get the photo id to make sure they could vote. I have a lot of concerns about this bill and I would urge a no vote."

Some supporters of the bill are concerned that an election system that doesn't require voters to prove their identity is open to fraud and may lack integrity. Nine states currently require a photo ID to vote.

Editor's Note: Golden Valley Patch regularly reports on the actions and votes our local representatives and senators are taking at the State Capitol.  Our videos are provided in partnership with The UpTake.

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