Congressman Russ Carnahan Releases Statement on Photo ID Decision

Statement

Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO-3) today released a statement following the decision by Circuit Judge Pat Joyce to strike down a ballot initiative in Missouri that would have required voters to purchase a government photo ID to cast a ballot. Judge Joyce called the proposal "insufficient and unfair."

"I am pleased that the court reaffirmed protection for the fundamental right of voting," said Carnahan. "The assault on this right, across our nation, troubles me greatly. State legislatures are being asked to roll back progress to the days of Jim Crow, poll tests and outright voter intimidation. It is an unacceptable burden to demand that hundreds of thousands of voters take time out of their busy workdays to go purchase a new ID, which many cannot afford, simply to exercise our most basic right. We know that voter fraud is exceptionally rare, and that forcing voters to buy a government photo ID is a solution in search of a problem. Equality does not come with a price tag and fairness is not gained by overcoming excessive burdens. I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to make sure that every vote counts."

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