The Republican-led Arizona House and Senate both approved a measure to put on the ballot this November that would make more stringent the identification requirements to vote both in-person and by mail, The Epoch Times reported.
The measure would require that all early ballots have an affidavit with the voter's date of birth and the number off one of several acceptable forms of identification, such as a driver's license, a state-issued non-operating license, or the last four digits of the person's Social Security number, the Daily Independent reported.
It also would require those who go to the polls to present a photo ID, instead of the current system, in which it is also acceptable for a voter to bring in two different documents without a photo that contain the person's name and address.
The current system for early ballots is that voters only have to sign their names, which county officials then compare to signatures on file with verified voter registration documents, according to The Epoch Times.
Republicans passed the measures due to concerns that current laws allow for fraud or illegal votes to take place, particularly due to allegations of such occurrences in the state during the last presidential election.
However, Democrats argue that the bill, along several with other election integrity bills currently being considered in the state legislature, are aimed at voter suppression.
Democrat Rep. Mitzi Epstein said on Twitter that currently, without the new bills, "Voter ID is good. Arizona has voter ID requirements. But this [bill] has too many flaws and will have too many unintended consequences. Every eligible voter’s ballot should be counted. We should not create barriers to voting."
Republican Sen. Vince Leach countered that the new proposed requirements are no big deal, telling the Daily Independent that "a photo ID is an everyday part of life."
Leach gave as examples that anyone who wants to go to an Arizona pharmacy to buy Sudafed has to provide a photo ID and in order to check into a hotel one needs similar documentation.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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