[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 357 Introduced in House (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.
                                 <all>