EDITORIAL: Identity Proof: Texas Voter ID Requirements

It is Election Day. You wake up early, get dressed and possibly stop to pick up that expensive cup of coffee at one of the three coffee shops located at the busy intersection on your way to the polling place.

You finally make it there and are waiting in line when you realize that you have failed to update your voter registration card with your new married name. Now what?

As voters headed to the polls Nov. 5, they were required to prove they are who the voter registration card says they are, exactly. The new Texas voter identification law requiring voters to present a valid photo identification document is in effect.

The new law has been received with much opposition and speculation. People opposing this new requirement see this law as a form of discrimination for minority groups, particularly the African-American and Hispanic populations, and a possible obstacle for women voters due to name discrepancies. People supporting the new voter identification law believe that it will help prevent voter fraud.

One of the concerns is that women may have name changes due to marriage or divorce, and the name on their registration card may not match the name on their photo identification card.

A driver’s license is one of the seven valid photo identifications that can be presented to vote. While women commonly have name changes, changing a name on most documents is an inconvenient process and can be easily put off for a later time.

In this day and age, with the various security issues that have occurred, it seems that more and more places are requiring some form of photo identification for day-to-day business processes. Banking institutions, schools, airports and some government institutions are among places that may ask for photo identification to allow access to accounts or facilities.

At airports, for instance, the name on the plane ticket must match the name on a valid photo identification document. If the name does not match, the person is not allowed to board the plane. The new Texas voter identification law has this same concept.

If the name on the photo identification document that the voter provides does not match the name on the voter registration list, the person cannot cast his or her ballot, no exceptions…or are there?

Even though the voter identification law appears to be strict, the voter is not turned away if he or she does not have the appropriate identification document. Depending on the person’s situation, the voter may be given a “provisional” ballot. The provisional ballot is kept separate from the other ballots, and the voter has six days from Election Day to provide a valid photo identification document, so that the ballot submitted will be counted.

If there is a discrepancy in the names listed on the valid identification document and the voter registration in- formation, the election officer can determine if the names are “substantially similar.” In this case, the officer can have the voter complete an affidavit stating he or she is one and the same on the identification and voter registration information.

There is an election identification certificate that can be obtained free of charge through the local Department of Public Safety. This Texas Election Identification Certificate can be provided to those who do not have a valid photo identification already. Many people may not know about this option and it should be widely publicized.

The new requirement may seem like a simple thing to take care of; just do it, right? But for someone who has never needed to provide a photo identification to prove he or she is the person on the voter registration card, or lacks financial resources or economic standing, it is an inconvenience and a requirement that may not be so simple to accomplish, especially not within the six-day period.

Although the Nov. 5 election has passed, it appears that the new voter identification law will stay a requirement for future elections. In order to prepare for a better voting experience, voters should see what documentations are acceptable for identification purposes. This may be a good time for prospective and eligible voters to consider getting their documents in order.

The voter ID requirement is one more indication that in this post-9/11 age, we have become a “database nation” in which, in the name of security, eventually, every American will need to have some form of photo identification document to prove his or her identity.