Montana legislator asserts voter fraud in pushing ID law

HELENA – A Montana legislator seeking to toughen the state’s voter ID law alleged Thursday that voter fraud is occurring at polling places across the state, as opponents sought to kill the bill as an unnecessary barrier to voting.

Republican Rep. Derek Skees of Kalispell offered no specific proof of his assertions during a legislative committee hearing. The committee is considering his bill to require voters to present photo identification on Election Day.

President Donald Trump has vowed to probe what he alleges was massive voter fraud during the November elections. He claims millions of people voted illegally, although experts are doubtful.

Members of the State Administration Committee doubted the allegations Skees made about voter fraud in Montana.

“All because we have a government that says there is no voter fraud, that doesn’t necessarily make it true,” Skees said. “Once voter fraud occurs, it’s difficult to prove.”

A representative from the Secretary of State’s Office was not present during the hearing, and a spokesperson for the office was not immediately available to comment.

Jordan Thompson, an attorney with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, called the proposal at attempt to suppress votes.

“The bill he’s presenting comes from a place of privilege, where you just assume that everybody has an ID, can get an ID or should have an ID. Native communities don’t necessarily come from that same perspective,” Thompson said.

The bill would require voters to present a picture ID – such as a driver’s license, Montana state photo identification card, passport, a concealed weapons permit – at polling places or when applying for an absentee ballot.

Skees said his law was meant to stop people from “gaming the system.”

Kathy Bramer, a former elections official under Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, told the committee that “the bill is designed to address a problem that doesn’t exist.”

There is no evidence of intentional voter fraud in Montana, according to Bramer, now a lobbyist for AARP in Montana.

The committee did not take immediate action on the proposal.