Voter ID decision won’t affect Washington much

OLYMPIA – The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a voter identification case decision won’t have an immediate impact in Washington, where poll voters are required to present some form of identification but not necessarily a photo ID. A paycheck, bank statement or utility bill will work. And the overwhelming majority of counties vote primarily by mail, which requires no identification.

But the idea of requiring a photo ID for voting has repeatedly cropped up in Olympia in recent years.

In 2005 Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, wanted to require a photo identification to vote at polls. A similar bill from Rep. Glenn Anderson, R-Fall City, last year would have required a photo ID and proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Both bills died in committee.

In the wake of a razor-thin, hotly contested 2004 gubernatorial election, lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2005 changed the law to add lines for a driver’s license number, ID card number or Social Security number to voter registration forms. Trying to weed out illegitimate voters, election officials in 2006 started checking those numbers with various databases. If no match was found, other identification was required.

A coalition of church- and voter-rights groups challenged the process, and in August 2006 U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez said the new requirement violated federal law.