Voter Identification and Citizenship Requirements: Overview and Issues Page: 3 of 6
This report is part of the collection entitled: Congressional Research Service Reports and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
CRS-3
government-issued photo identification, the last 4 digits of the social security number, or
the voter-identification number specified in HAVA.
Several bills would have authorized funding for photo identification. S. 414 would
have authorized $25 million for FY2006 and sums necessary thereafter for EAC payments
to states to provide free photo identification cards to registered voters who did not already
have them. H.R. 939 and S. 450, which did not require such identification, nevertheless
would have authorized $10 million for FY2006 and sums necessary thereafter to promote
the issuance of such cards. H.R. 2250 would have authorized sums necessary for the EAC
to make payments to states to reduce costs to low-income persons of obtaining the
identification required by the bill. H.R. 4989 would have authorized the funds necessary
to assist states in issuing voter registration cards. H.R. 5913 would have authorized funds
necessary for the photo identification cards required by the act and would have withheld
federal highway funds from states that failed to comply.
On September 14, 2006, the House Administration Committee ordered to be reported
H.R. 4844 (Hyde), the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute. The bill passed the House on September 20, 2006, but was not
taken up by the Senate before the October recess. The amended bill would have required
proof of citizenship (beginning in 2010) and photo identification issued by the federal
government or a state government (beginning in 2008) for voting in federal elections. It
would have required that voters who cast a provisional ballot because they did not have
the required identification provide such within 48 hours for the ballot to be counted. It
included an exception for military overseas voters. The bill would have required states
to provide photo identification documents to qualified voters who did not have such
documents, and to provide them to indigent voters at no cost. It would have authorized
appropriation of such sums as may be necessary to cover the costs of providing such
identification to indigent voters.
On October 16, 2006, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld a county court decision
that invalidated Missouri's photo ID law. The Supreme Court found that the law violates
the equal protection clause in article 1, section 2 of the state constitution, as well as the
right to vote under article 1, section 25, "which provides more expansive and concrete
protection to the right to vote than the federal constitution."4 On September 14, 2006,
Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan had struck down the state law requiring
photo identification to votes Also on that date, U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy, in
Georgia, blocked the state from enforcing its photo ID law, although he did not block its
use in the upcoming November election.6 Voters in Arizona approved Proposition 200
in November 2004 to require photo identification and proof of citizenship for voting. A
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that barred its implementation for the November
4 The opinion can be found at [http://www.courts.mo.gov/Courts/PubOpinions.nsf/
Of87ea4ac0ad4c0186256405005d3b8e/aaaf64cbd6899a9e8625721f006356e2?OpenDocument].
s The opinion can be found at [http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/VotersFirst/
Cole_circuit_decision_Voter_ID.pdf]
6 Kelly Wiese, "US judge strikes down Missouri voter ID law citing cost of paperwork to get
documents," Associated Press, Sept. 15, 2006.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This report can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Report.
Coleman, Kevin J. & Fischer, Eric A. Voter Identification and Citizenship Requirements: Overview and Issues, report, March 7, 2007; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc805435/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.