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Dayton, Ritchie call for photo ID alternative

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Mar 9, 2012 at 9:39 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie say there's a less expensive alternative to the proposal for a constitutional amendment requiring a photo ID to vote, and that it also runs less risk of disenfranchising some voters.

Dayton and Ritchie held a Capitol news conference Thursday to tout the "electronic poll book" voter verification proposal. Ritchie says the avoiding the photo ID requirement would save the state from federal oversight of its elections and cost less money to implement. Fellow Democrat Dayton says he thinks Ritchie's proposal could be a bipartisan alternative to the amendment.

But the chief House sponsor of the amendment says it's an unacceptable substitute. Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer says it could complement an ID requirement but would not work as an alternative.