Iowa House approves photo ID requirement to vote

Despite Democratic objections that it was a “solution in search of a problem,” the Iowa House approved requiring Iowans to show a photo ID to vote.

“This is a bill created to create a problem,” Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said before the House voted 60-40 to send the measure to the Senate.

Floor Manager Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids, called the bill necessary to protect the integrity of elections and to make voting more uniform across the state. Now, election official may ask for a photo ID. HF 95 would remove that subjectivity by requiring everyone to show their ID.

Democrats said House File 95, which is modeled after Indiana's law that has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, should be called a voter suppression act.

“Voting is a right. It is not a privilege. It is a right,” said Rep. Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa, a former county commissioner of elections. “If a person goes into vote, does not have a photo ID and cannot devote the time and expense to acquiring one, their right to vote has been denied.”

Rights come with responsibility, said Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake.

“If you're not willing to accept that responsibility, maybe put in a little effort on your part to get a photo ID, study the issues, register, that doesn't say a whole lot about you interest in your government and what's going on around you,” Worthan said.

Still, Gaskill said, HF 95 is based in the false premise that it will stop voter fraud.

“But where is the fraud?” Gaskill asked. More than 1.13 million Iowans voted in the 2008 presidential election “and there were zero cases of voter fraud. Zero.”

That doesn't mean there's no fraud, Schulte said.

“It means we have a problem with the system,” she said, and referred to irregularities in her district when she won her first election by 13 votes. “This system will make it easier to prove intent” to commit voter fraud.

She also referred to a recent report found seven counties in Iowa have more registered voters than people of voting age.

“That‘s a problem,” Schulte said.

Gaskill called the bill Republicans' attempt to discourage Iowans from voting.

According to House Democrats, 11 percent of Americans – a higher percentage of minorities, low-income and older people – do not have a government-issued photo IDs.

Schulte countered with research showing that no voter disenfranchisement has been proven in Indiana and Georgia, which also has a photo ID requirement. Researchers called those concerns “much ado about nothing,” Schulte said.

Schulte added that voter turnout was higher in Indiana and Georgia than in their neighboring states. Researchers attributed that to higher voter confidence, she said.

It was also noted that Secretary of State Matt Schultz, who defeated Democratic incumbent Michael Mauro in November, attributes that victory to his support for the photo ID requirement.