THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
The fewer obstacles to voting, the better.
So it's good news that the Allen administration agreed Wednesday to a compromise motor-voter bill that would allow Virginians to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles and some other government offices and also by mail. The bill now is likely to pass this session and take effect before May elections.
Allen has fought the motor-voter law every step of the way. Last year he vetoed a bill to bring Virginia into compliance with the federal motor-voter law. Then he sued the federal government to block implementation of that law in Virginia and lost. As a result, the state is under a court order to implement the law by March 6.
Then this legislative session, still digging in his heels against making voting easier, Allen sought to require that voters show a photo ID, though there's no demonstrable need for the requirement.
Currently in Virginia, no identification is required to register as a voter. The registrant signs an oath that information given - name, age, address and so on - is true. Lying on the registration form is a state and federal felony carrying heavy penalties, including up to 10 years in prison.
Currently in Virginia, no ID is required to vote. And voter fraud has not been a problem.
But Gov. George F. Allen argued that an ID requirement would be prudent to fight voter fraud, now that Virginians will be able to register to vote by mail.
His argument was flawed, however. Why would fraud be more likely when people register by mail than in person, since no ID is required in either case?
The IDs aren't needed, said Ann J. Washington, Norfolk voter registrar. She added, ``We have had no problem.''
If any citizen or an election official doubts a voter is eligible to vote, she said, that vote can be challenged. The ballot will be placed in an envelope, and the eligibility of the voter will be settled in circuit court the next day. Besides, the penalty for voter fraud is sufficiently harsh to keep sane people honest.
Finally, on Wednesday, the governor accepted a Democratic compromise: a requirement that voters who register by mail show IDs only the first time they vote. Under the compromise, a voter lacking a photo ID could sign a statement attesting to his identity.
Many black Democrats object to requiring an ID. As Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer Jr., a Democrat, noted, Virginia's history of suppressing black voters through literacy tests and poll taxes is long and sad. Fortunately it is not recent.
Allen's opposition to the motor-voter law is in the national Republican tradition of opposing changes that increase voter turnout.
Conventional wisdom has it that making voting easier encourages more low-income people - traditionally Democrats - to vote.
But with the growth of the heavily Republican suburbs and the lack of growth of predominantly Democratic core cities, Republicans may be hurting themselves more than Democrats by resisting efforts to expand the number of voters.
Governor Allen is fond of saying, ``Let the voters decide.'' He should add, ``Let the voters vote.'' by CNB