Your Opinion: Override governor's veto of voter ID law

Dear Editor:

I was surprised by the News Tribune's view as expressed in the June 23 "Our Opinion" section regarding voter photo identification.

In this age of identity theft and rampant voter fraud, it makes perfect sense to require those who wish to exercise their right to vote to prove that they are, in fact, who they say they are.

You quoted the language in Article VIII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution, which specifies that voters must be citizens, they must be over the age of 18, and they must be residents of the state and the political subdivision in which they offer to vote, among others specifics.

The law vetoed by the governor does allow voters who do not have photo ID to cast provisional ballots that would be counted once the voter is able to prove he or she is actually eligible to vote in that specific district.

It makes good sense to verify a voter's eligibility before counting their vote, does it not? Or does the governor believe he will benefit politically from the inevitable fraud that favors Democrats when voting standards are lax? I say lawmakers should override the veto.

By the way, a non-driver's photo ID may be obtained from the Department of Revenue for $11.

There are two locations, open from 7:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. But, in order to get one, you must present legal proof that you are who you say you are and you will need to give a current address.