By Maria Carter
Kansas City, MO – Despite an ongoing lawsuit, Missouri voters are being encouraged to make sure they have a valid photo ID before heading to the polls in November. KCUR's Maria Carter reports.
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Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed a bill in June requiring voters to present a photo ID at the polls. Many Democrats, including Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, opposed the bill, saying elderly, disabled, and poor voters would not have enough time to get the new IDs. But Carnahan says now that it's a law she wants voters to get the ID they will need.
Robin Carnahan: What I'm talking about here today is letting people know about this new requirement and that's making sure their voting rights are protected. I don't think that's a partisan or political issue, and I don't think we ought to bicker about it . I think we ought to let people know about it and help them get the IDs they need.
The state ID is free for voters, but some elected officials in Kansas City and St. Louis along with the ACLU are suing the state over the cost of the voter ID law. They claim the law violates the state's constitution because it doesn't provide state money to local government for the extra expenses. The secretary of State's office estimates the price tag for local governments at some $6 million.