Stricter Voter Registration Regulation Gains Momentum in Senate

Feb 27, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Utahns may soon need to submit a copy of their birth certificate, passport or social security card in order to register to vote. District 13 Senator Mark Madsen says his SB 210 will require a little more effort to register people to vote, but he says, it's worth it.

"But I do believe that protecting the integrity of our system is worth it and I think that citizens who are concerned about their vote counting and not having it stolen by somebody who shouldn't be voting, would be more than willing to undertake the nominal effort that this requires," Madsen says.

However, Salt Lake County Senator Scott McCoy says requiring the extra paperwork will have a chilling effect on voter registration. McCoy says he registers hundreds of voters while campaigning door to door, but fears people will be wary to hand over their personal identification paperwork to complete strangers.

"In this age of identity theft, I asked myself, if someone came and knocked on my door to register voters, would I actually be comfortable with someone taking a photograph of my driver's license, my passport, my birth certificate? I think this will have a significant chilling effect," says McCoy.

However, SB 210 passed the second reading on the Senate calendar Tuesday by a 16-to-10 vote. It must clear another vote in the Senate before it heads to the House floor for further consideration. A link to the bill and a podcast of the floor debate are available on our Web site, kcpw.org.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW