RE: Oppose the “Federal Election Integrity Act” of 2006!

Dear Senator,

The “Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006” (HR 4844), passed by the House on September 21, is a cynical, hypocritical bill that would disenfranchise millions of Americans, particularly poor people and people of color, in the name of “election integrity.” I very strongly urge you to do whatever it takes to stop this mean-spirited legislation in the Senate.

The bill would require all voters to obtain and show government-issued photo IDs proving their citizenship before they could vote. Proponents say it is necessary to prevent voter misrepresentation—people showing up at the polls pretending to be someone they’re not. While our electoral system isn’t perfect, the supporters of this bill are inflating voter fraud into a problem that just doesn’t exist. Congress and the states have proven extremely successful at preventing non-citizens from voting and ensuring that voters are who they claim to be.

Far greater and much more dangerous problems loom over the electoral system than voter misrepresentation—scarcity of polling places, ill-prepared poll workers, faulty voting machines and lack of language-appropriate voting materials, to name just a few. Instead of addressing such structural problems, the House-passed legislation creates another one—one that would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of registered voters.

On the surface, the bill seems reasonable. Many citizens might wonder what’s wrong with showing their government-issued driver’s license when they go to vote. But most states don’t require proof of citizenship to issue a person a driver’s license. The only document that meets the bill’s requirement for proof of citizenship is a passport. According to the State Department, only 25 percent of Americans over age 18 have a passport. Passports can cost as much as $100. In order to get a passport, you need your birth certificate. Many would probably have to pay for a replacement copy of their birth certificate so they could get a passport—at least another $20.

HR 4844 is the equivalent of a poll tax since voters would have to pay for a passport to prove their citizenship in order to vote. It will actually discourage, confuse and discriminate against voters. If passed, this onerous bill would prevent many eligible voters from exercising their right to vote, disproportionately affecting people of color, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, rural and Native American voters, the homeless, low-income people and married women, who studies show to be less likely to carry a photo ID.

Election reform in this country is necessary and a very serious matter, but HR 4844 is simply not the vehicle to address it. Please do everything in your power to stop it!

Sincerely,

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