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Amending the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to Require Voters to Provide Photo Identification--Motion to Proceed

The Senate considered a motion to proceed to a bill amending the Help America Vote Act to require voters to show photo identification. Senator Husted, sponsoring the bill, said it would require voters to present IDs such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID, passport, or military ID, and noted that 36 states already have similar requirements and that polls show broad public support. Senator Padilla opposed taking up the bill, saying voter ID rules are too strict and that requiring people to mail in copies of their IDs would interfere with secret voting, and argued the Senate should instead be working on lowering costs for working families.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

2 statements

Jon Husted

Republican
“I want the Senate to pass this bill. It requires all voters to show a photo ID, like a driver's license, passport, or military ID. Most Americans support this, and 36 states already do it. It will make our elections fair and honest.”
Official Congressional Record

Madam President, using a photo ID to vote is common sense. It is an issue Americans broadly support. So tonight, this early morning, I am offering a clean, simple straightforward bill to require a photo ID to vote in America. Voters can use a driver’s license, a state-issued ID, passport, military or veterans ID, or Tribal ID. No additional restrictions. No tricks. No games. No prohibitions on absentee voting. Thirty-six States require some form of photo ID. Photo ID laws have been tested in elections across this country, and they work. So tonight, I am asking my colleagues to answer one simple question: Should you have to prove who you are when you vote? Americans think we should, and tonight, we will find out if their Senators agree. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill to establish nationwide photo ID standards and give Americans better-run and honest and fair elections. I yield the floor.

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Alex Padilla

Democrat
“I want the Senate to vote no on this bill. It makes voter ID rules too strict and requires people to mail in copies of their IDs. This will hurt secret voting.”
Official Congressional Record

Madam President, colleagues, here we are after months and months and months of continuing to debate this bill, which still hasn’t passed. We should be debating how to bring costs down for working families across the country. I would love to hear from my colleagues how we are going to get out of this war in Iran. Instead, here is this measure again, which is not a simple voter ID bill. As written, it is stricter than most voter ID bills in States that already have a voter ID law in place. But this goes even further, requiring voters to include a copy of their ID when they vote by mail, as well as tens of millions of Americans who vote by mail. This bill would do away with secret ballots as we know it. So colleagues, I urge you to vote no on this measure.

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