County commissioners will have an opportunity to discuss issues of concern with State Senator Tom Bakk and possibly with State Representative David Dill at a meeting on Tuesday, October 23 at 3:00 p.m. in the courthouse commissioners’ room. On October 16, they decided that one of the things they wanted to talk to the representatives about was the proposed voter identification amendment that will be on the election ballot on November 6.
Commissioner Sue Hakes said she was concerned because the wording on the ballot does not outline how the amendment would be implemented.
Commissioner Jim Johnson suggested that the board take a stand against the proposed amendment. “A lot of people in the county don’t realize this could cost the county a lot of money,” he said. He was concerned that implementing it could require increasing the county levy and decreasing other services now offered.
People might not think about the fact that it costs money to run the government, Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said. “There’s a dollar amount to every single thing that goes on,” he said.
The board unanimously passed a motion opposing the voter ID amendment because of its potential cost to taxpayers.
Auditor-treasurer on voter ID amendment
Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers, Cook County’s election administrator, wrote to the Cook County News-Herald with information on the proposed voter ID amendment. This is what he said:
“On the ballot this year is a question of whether to amend the state constitution to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote.
“The question sounds simple but the implications are not. If the question is approved and the constitution is amended we won’t know the extent of the changes until the legislature interprets the new language next year.
“First, consider the actual change it will make in the language of the constitution: b) All voters voting in person must present valid government-issued photographic identification before receiving a ballot. The state must issue photographic identification at no charge to an eligible voter who does not have a form of identification meeting the requirements of this section. A voter unable to present government-issued photographic identification must be permitted to submit a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot must only be counted if the voter certifies the provisional ballot in the manner provided by law.
“(c) All voters, including those not voting in person, must be subject to substantially equivalent identity and eligibility verification prior to a ballot being cast or counted.
“What we do know is that it will create a provisional balloting system. Election results will be delayed until the end of the provisional ballot period. We don’t know the length of the provisional period. We’ve heard estimates of five-day to 14-day provisional periods. We know that in the experience of other states many provisional ballots are not counted. We know that it will take time and money to put this new system in place and to maintain it for future elections.
“We know that all voters will be subject to ‘substantially equivalent identity and eligibility verification.’ What we don’t know is the effect on absentee and mail ballot voters.
“We know that identity verification requires voters at the polls to present photographic identification to trained election judges. What we don’t know is what the legislature will require of mail ballot and absentee voters. If the legislature takes a strict interpretation, mail and absentee balloting may no longer be practical. In that case we have to plan for the cost of providing polling places that meet current disability access and technology standards. We currently have two polling places in Grand Marais and would have to create additional polling places for the eleven precincts that vote by mail.
“We know that current eligibility verification requires voter registration information to be run through state and federal databases to determine such things as felony convictions, death, current driver license registration and the voter’s registered address. We know that it can take several days for that process to be completed. What we don’t know is if the legislature will take a strict interpretation of the language. If it does, provisional ballots will not be counted until those checks occur.
“One way to ensure that provisional ballots have a chance of counting is to install technology that will speed up the verification process. Cost of such technology is estimated at two to four thousand [dollars] per polling place.
“These are some of the concerns I and other election administrators have regarding the proposed amendment. Constitutional amendments are not easily changed. I do not offer support for or against the amendment, but I ask that voters please educate themselves and carefully consider the implications if this ballot question is approved.”
Other issues to be discussed
Other issues the board expressed interest in discussing with Bakk and Dill on October 23 include a) seeking exemption from having to pay sales tax on equipment needed under the state’s new Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) system that will facilitate communication among governmental agencies that assist in emergency response; b) reinstating state funding to pay mileage for veteran trips to medical appointments; and c) restoring Violence Prevention Center funding to its previous level.
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