Rep. Messer Introduces Legislation to Ensure Election Integrity

WASHINGTON (Monday, April 17, 2017) — Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) has introduced legislation to help ensure integrity in federal elections.

The Election Integrity Act of 2017, H.R. 2090, would require voters to present a valid, government-issued photo ID in order to vote in federal elections beginning in 2020.  If an individual is unable to pay the cost of obtaining a government-issued photo ID, H.R. 2090 requires states to provide the individual with a valid photo ID free of charge.

H.R. 2090 is modeled after Indiana’s voter identification law enacted in 2005 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2008. Messer helped advance Indiana’s voter identification law while serving in the Indiana General Assembly.

According to the Congressional Research Service, Indiana is one of 18 states that currently requires a photo ID for in-person voting. Eighteen other states and the District of Columbia do not require a voter to provide any ID to vote.

“Many Hoosiers are surprised to know voters in some states don’t have to show any form of identification to vote in national elections,” Messer said. “This legislation is a common-sense fix to provide consistency in voter ID laws, uphold the integrity of our federal elections and improve voter confidence in the process. It also ensures voters who genuinely can’t afford a photo ID can obtain one without charge to them.”

Under Messer’s bill, if an individual does not present a photo ID at the time they are voting, they may cast a provisional ballot and present their ID within 10 days.

States like Indiana that already have similar photo ID laws in effect can be exempted from the law.