U.S. Senator from Maine Angus King (I) has joined a group of his Democrat colleagues in sponsoring the “Right to Vote Act,” a bill that would place significant restrictions on states looking to implement stricter voter ID laws.
[RELATED: Maine Dems Unanimously Reject Voter ID…]
The bill, introduced last week by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), would articulate a “fundamental right to vote” in federal elections for all U.S. citizens of legal voting age, and would prohibit any government action that “diminish[es] the ability to vote,” except for when that action is the “least restrictive means of significantly furthering an important, particularized government interest.”
A “substantial impairment” to the right to vote, as set forth in the bill, includes measures under which voters are still able to vote notwithstanding the impairment, i.e., stricter voter ID laws, shortening vote times, or restrictions on voter registration.
The proposed legislation would also allow the federal government to sue state and local governments for implementing an action that “diminishes the ability, or otherwise makes it more difficult, to vote.”
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” Sen. King said Tuesday. “As we continue to work toward a ‘More Perfect Union,’ we must ensure every American has the right to have their voice heard at the ballot box.”
“For the first time, the Right to Vote Act will enshrine — in federal law — the fundamental right to vote in federal elections, and will allow U.S. citizens the right to challenge laws that make it harder to vote,” King said.
“In the face of state-level threats that undercut our access to the ballot box, we must act now to protect our democratic process so we can pass our nation’s tradition of self-governance on to the next generation,” he added.
The “Right to Vote Act” is cosponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states require voters to show some form of identification (with varying degrees of strictness) at the polls — 14 states, including Maine, do not require voters to show an ID to get a ballot.
In February, Democrats on the Maine Legislature’s Legislative Council voted down a bill proposed by Rep. Heidi Sampson (R-Alfred) that would have required voters to present a valid photo ID at the polls, alongside other election integrity measures surrounding absentee ballots and ballot harvesting.
Although non-citizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections, registrars of voters in Maine are not required to check the immigration status of voter registration applicants.
[RELATED: South Portland City Clerk Reveals How Easily Non-Citizens Can Vote in Maine Elections…]
When registering to vote in Maine, applicants are required to check a box stating that they are a U.S. citizen and to present some form of ID and proof of residence.
However, photo ID is not required to register to vote, and Maine accepts out-of-state IDs — including from states which issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, including Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and Connecticut.
