John Merrill, legislature team up to ensure voter readiness

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has asked legislators to provide three separate and specific days of the week, as well as times and venues, to hold voter registration drives and to issue photo identification cards to prospective voters. The move is an effort on the part of the Secretary of State “to ensure that eligible Alabama citizens are able to vote.”

Registration events of this nature have already been held in Barbour and Bibb counties.

A law requiring identification at the polls went into effect in June 2014, despite such moves being contested in other parts of the country – Alabama’s move raised the ire of some who claimed the change would adversely affect poor and minority voters.

However, accepted forms of photo identification are widespread and seemingly easy and inexpensive to attain.

Accepted forms of identification include:

• a driver’s license
• an Alabama-issued voter ID card
• a state or federal issued ID card from any state
• a U.S. passport
• an employee ID from Federal Government, the State of Alabama, County, Municipality, Board, or other entity of this state
• a student or employee ID from a public or private college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools)
• a Military ID
• Tribal ID.

A registered voter without one of these forms can attain a free voter ID card, though to do so one must have an identifying document containing the voter’s full name and date of birth, proof of being a registered voter and documentation affirming the voter’s full name and address as listed in the voter registry.

A name, address and voter registration status can be verified through the Secretary of State’s office.

Non-photo identification documents that can be used to attain a free voter ID card include a Social Security card, a birth certificate or marriage record, a hospital or nursing home record, a Medicare or Medicaid document or an official school record or transcript.

For more information or to attain a voter ID card, visit www.alabamavotes.com or call 1-800-274-VOTE (8683).