HCON 357 IH
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 357
Encouraging all States to enact laws requiring photo identification to vote in elections.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2008
Mr. FEENEY submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Encouraging all States to enact laws requiring photo identification to vote in elections.
Whereas on April 28, 2008, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Crawford et al. v. Marion County Election Board et al., ruled that the State of Indiana's law requiring voters to present photo identification when voting is constitutional;
Whereas the Court, in a 6-3 ruling written by Justices Stevens, Roberts, and Kennedy, found that the burden on voters to present photo ID is offset by the benefit to voters and overall electoral integrity of reducing the risk of fraud;
Whereas the Crawford ruling noted that, `There is no question about the legitimacy or importance of a State's interest in counting only eligible voters' votes.';
Whereas the Crawford ruling also noted that, `Indiana's interest in protecting public confidence in elections, while closely related to its interest in preventing voter fraud, has independent significance, because such confidence encourages citizen participation in the democratic process.';
Whereas the Crawford ruling also noted that, `The relevant burdens here are those imposed on eligible voters who lack photo identification cards . . . . Because Indiana's cards are free, the inconvenience of going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, gathering required documents, and posing for a photograph does not qualify as a substantial burden on most voters' right to vote, or represent a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting.';
Whereas a Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in early 2008 found that 80 percent of voters believe that everyone should be required to show photo identification to vote, that 13 percent disagree with the photo ID requirement, and that 72 percent disagree that requiring photo ID unfairly discriminates against some segments of the population; and
Whereas State requirements regarding what, if any, identification they require voters to present vary greatly: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--
(1) strongly encourages all States that have not already done so, in light of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Crawford et al. v. Marion County Election Board et al., to swiftly enact laws requiring voters to present current, valid, government-issued photo identification based on proof of United States citizenship in order to vote in elections; and
(2) applauds those States that have already implemented vigorous photo identification laws to secure the integrity of the democratic process.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.Con.Res.357 as Introduced in House Encouraging all States to enact laws requiring photo identification to vote in elections.
