Voter ID bills have the backing of both Republican gubernatorial candidates

Identifying all voters at the ballot box with photo ID is a common sense way to restore faith in the integrity of our electoral system, according to both of the leading GOP candidates for governor. The Joint Committee on Election Laws heard a pair of bills Tuesday by State Sen. Peter Durant and state Rep. Donald Berthiaume, Jr., each of which would establish a voter ID requirement under state law. Asking voters to show ID is a “reasonable request” said former Baker Administration MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve in a statement ahead of the hearing. Shortsleeve noted a change in the law wouldn’t even make the Bay State an outlier, but rather just another one of the about three dozen states which already ask voting age adults to prove they are who they say they are before casting a ballot. “A photo identification is required to fly, buy a cell phone, open a bank account, pick up a prescription and even attend the Massachusetts Democrat State Convention,” Shortsleeve noted. His Republican primary opponent and fellow Baker Administration alumnus, Mike Kennealy, said that he is also “strong supporter” of the state adopting a voter ID law, and he added that he suspects a majority of Bay State voters would agree with the need. Much like Shortsleeve, Kennealy noted that the ballot box is one of the few places where Bay State adults don’t need to show any form of identification before participating. “In today’s world, you need an ID to board a plane, buy certain medications, or even enter many buildings,” he said. “It stands to reason that voting, the very foundation of our democratic republic, should be held to the same standard,” he added. According to Shortsleeve, because “elections have consequences” it’s beyond important that the process is completed in a trustworthy manner. “I support Massachusetts joining the growing list of states requiring voter identification at the polls. With the costly surge of migrants into our state, it is especially important that we pass a voter identification law,” he said. Opponents of voter ID laws say that U.S. elections are already quite secure and exhibit very little evidence of fraud. Implementing a voter ID requirement, according to information provided by the American Civil Liberties Union, works better at providing additional hurdles for low-income voters before they enjoy their rights than it does at solving voter fraud. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 36 states with some form of voter ID law. Gov. Maura Healey’s didn’t provide comment on either piece of legislation when asked, but said instead that the governor would “review any legislation that reaches her desk.”