AUGUSTA, Maine — A voter identification bill that triggered a partisan fight last year before it was carried over to this year’s session has been set aside by a Maine legislative committee.
The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to table the bill, which would require voters to present a photo ID before voting. The bill may turn into a broader study of Maine’s electoral system.
It was set aside as Maine’s chief election official, Secretary of State Charlie Summers, presented a report that identifies potential clerical and procedural errors in the state’s Central Voter Registration System.
Civil libertarians, seniors’ groups and the League of Woman Voters opposed the voter ID bill, saying it would dampen election participation. Supporters said it would prevent fraud and abuse of voting rights.
Oh Oh. The Grand Wizard and his clan of highly paid political operatives at the Maine Heritage Policy Center will not be happy to hear about this. Maybe, just maybe republican legislators are finally getting the message.
Your statement is repugnant.
Probably more valid than your apparent opinion.
Really, into the bin with-out-so-much as a wimper? Back to reality for legislature? Stay tuned…
at least someone is paying attention in Augusta.
Tabled means it could come back again. I won’t rest easy until it’s in the trash can (and incinerated).
Nah, I doubt it. They will turn it into a study, conjure up something and it will get shot down in a new bill. They tabled it because they knew that they didn’t have the votes, and it was a hold over bill (because they didn’t have the votes, and to await the referendum on registration).
All of the holdover bills need to be reported out by today. So they voted to table it, the only other viable option they had was to send it to the chambers for formal voting. An election year coming up, it did not pass last session, it wouldn’t have passed; they are grasping at straws.