Timothy W. Burga —_Pierrette M. Talley
PRESIDENT
To Representative Robert Mecklenborg and members of the House Committee on
State Government and Elections, my name is Pierrette Talley and lam an officer of
the Ohio AFL-CIO. Our state federation represents over 650,000 workers from 45
different international unions and our community affiliate Working America has one
million members in Ohio.
In addition to my role with the Ohio AFL-CIO, lam a community advocate with
several organizations and have been working with community organizations
serving as a convener of Voter Protection activities in Ohio since 2000.
write in opposition to HB159, the Ohio Fair and Secure Elections Act that would
require voters to present limited forms of non-expired government-issued photo ID
before casting a ballot. If passed, Ohio's voter identification requirements would be
among the strictest in the nation.
We've learned as of 2006, nationally as many as 11 percent of US citizens - an
estimated 30 million individuals do not have government issued photo
identification.
We believe that HB159 will have the effect of disenfranchising 2 number of Ohio's 8
million registered voters many of who may lack a government issued photo ID in
order to vote. Such analysis was thoroughly completed when the issue of requiring
photo identification was debated when HB3 was enacted just five years ago.
I'm sure you are aware that it costs about $20 - $25 dollars to get an Ohio's driver's
license or state ID. Although HB159 requires the state to provide ID to those who
attest that they cannot afford one; we believe it is unconstitutional to require any
one, not just the indigent, to expend any money in order to exercise the right to vote.
In order to obtain a state ID, the voter must present several underlying documents
to verlly identity, residency and citizenship (such as a certified birth certificate),
which is sometimes difficult and also very costly to obtain.
Racial minorities, the working poor, students, the elderly and people with
disabilities are twice as likely to lack a non-expired government photo ID.
Unemployment for some voters in these groups remain double that of others.
In light of the current economic climate where utility bills, gas and food prices are at
an all time high, the passage of HB159 would place an addition burden on those
already struggling just to run their households on the bare necessities. Further
www.ohaficio.org
Ohio AFL-CIO | 395 E Broad Street, Suite 300 | Columbus, OH 43215 | phone 614-224-827! | fax 614-224-2671 ivoters would likely have to take time away from work, often without pay just to get
the required photo ID.
Ata time when Ohio has an estimated $8 billon budget shortfall, it is irresponsible
for the state to appropriate millions of dollars on an ineffective solution to a non-
existent problem that stands to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of eligible
voters. Further, we do not helieve that either the Secretary of State or the local
boards of election have provided any evidence that voter fraud or voter
impersonation is prevalent in the current election system that already requires all
voters to show ID at the polls.
If enacted, HB159 under the guise of Ohio Fair and Secure Elections imposes
restrictive documentation requirements. We agree that voters should demonstrate
that they are who they say they are before voting, but we already have a system in
place that accomplishes this goal. Millions of voters cast ballots in Ohio elections
and instances of yoter fraud associated with identification are virtually non-existent,
and therefore, we stand opposed to HB159.
Respectfully,
Qcan Al
Pierrette M. Talley
Secretary-Treasurer