By Fletcher Word
The Truth Editor
The question Democratic lawmakers are raising in Columbus is – why do we need a constitutional amendment to enshrine voter identification requirements, when current laws already do that and are clearly working?
So asked state Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson and Rep. Erika White last week during a press conference on Wednesday, May 27 at the Lucas County Board of Elections.
Hicks-Hudson, who organized the event, noted that the General Assembly Republican effort to amend the constitution to require voter ID, “is part of a national tidal wave which I believe is an effort to affect the ability of citizens to vote.”
The Republicans, said Hicks-Hudson are presenting such an amendment as necessary, but the law requiring voter ID has been in effect already “and it works … Ohio elections are secure.”
Hicks-Hudson noted that it is “a good thing that voters do get a chance to vote … system works … why do we need to have something different, why do we need to put this into the Constitution? Republicans want to make voting harder.”
White also spoke and emphasized the same point about election security already being in place. White observed that there are other issues Republican should be focused on.
“We should be focused on affordability not distractions … constitutional amendments should be carefully considered,” she said, adding that this particular amendment presents no change to current law. “Our elections are already secure.”
One of the reasons for the press conference and the local Democratic officials’ outcry over the proposed constitutional amendment is the recent experience of long-time voter Robin Jones-Johnson.
Jones-Johnson has been voting in every election since she was 18 years old and has always been able to cast her ballot. During this year’s early primary elections, she was not so fortunate. She tried to cast her ballot but the election workers were not able to find her name on the registry rolls.
She asked them to try with just the second part of her hyphenated name, still no luck. Eventually she was told she need to cast a provisional ballot – the first time she was required to do so. Worried about whether her ballot would be counted, Jones-Johnson reached out to a variety of officials and agencies and her case eventually came to the attention of Hicks-Hudson’s office. And for the senator, Jones-Johnson’s predicament is an excellent example of how the system, as burdensome as it can already be to voters, is a perfect example of the fact that the system works. It works in making it harder for people to vote, that is.
Why make it even harder?
Lucas County President of the Board of Commissioners Lisa Sobecki, a former state representative herself, added that: “There is a lot more work that needs to be done in Columbus – public school funding, jobs and family services, property taxes, real reform – those are three major things to have conversations about instead of rushing a constitutional amendment.”
However, whether such a constitutional amendment passes or not, there are still matters voters should be aware of as the general election approaches in the fall. Holly Monson, president of the Toledo League of Women Voters, also spoke at the press conference and said: “We want everyone to understand there have been some changes – the name and address on the ID must match what the voter rolls have.”