Voter ID legislation passes House and Senate, heads to Gov’s desk - Buckrail

Rep. Chuck Gray Photo: Wyoming Legislature

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming legislature passed a bill that would require residents to present identification when casting their ballot in elections.

Yesterday April 1, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Eric Barlow signed the bill, and today, President of the Senate, Senator Dan Dockstader also signed the bill. It will now head to the Governors desk for his signature.

HB 75 outlines the acceptable identification required before voting in person. Valid identification includes a Wyoming driver’s license or ID card, a tribal ID, a military ID, or a U.S passport. The legislation also allows for identification cards issued by the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Community Colleges, or a Wyoming public school. Medicare or Medicaid insurance cards are also acceptable forms of identification.

Other states in the U.S have passed legislation requiring some form of identification from voters. Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin require voters to present an identification card with their photo on it while Arizona, North Dakota, and Ohio require identification but not a photo.

Republican Representative Chuck Gray of Casper sponsored the bill. Following the vote, he tweeted, ” Great news! I’m proud to be the lead sponsor of HB75, voter ID. It is now an Enrolled Act. We are awaiting the Governor to sign the bill!”

Gray is running against Representative Liz Cheney for Wyoming’s lone seat in the United States House of Representative. He announced his campaign in early March.

The bill includes an amendment that would waive identification card fees for individuals seeking an identification card for the sole purpose of voter identification.

Opponents of the bill say it is an unnecessary requirement for voters and could disenfranchise citizens from voting by making it less accessible.

According to the Associated Press, during the House Corporations Committee hearing on the bill, Marguerite Herman with the League of Women Voters told the committee that the legislation promotes a “false narrative” and that “there is no evidence of pervasive voter impersonation that would be remedied by presenting voter ID at the polls.”

Following his loss of the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump claimed widespread election fraud occurred. His claims were unsubstantiated. Under Trump-appointed U.S Attorney General William Barr, the Justice Department investigated and found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The bill does not require voters to present identification if they are voting with an absentee ballot by mail.