DC Dem. leaders seek to counter voter ID

Leaders seek to counter voter ID

With less than six months until elections, Democratic leaders introduced a bill Thursday that aims to remove barriers to voting and counter new state election laws they say could turn away minority voters.

“They are a threat to democracy as we know it,” said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon. “The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. . . . Voting should be simple, easy and accessible to every citizen.”

Meanwhile in Mississippi Thursday, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law a measure that requires voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot. The measure is one of a wave of election laws adopted by states in recent years.

Gannett Washington Bureau
5/17/12