If it’s signed into law, will the Federal Government agree Virginia’s controversial voter identification bill meets the requirements of the voting rights act?
The Attorney General says its a toss up.
During an interview on C-SPAN, Ken Cuccinelli said that based on how the government has handled similar laws in other states, he thinks it’s about a 50-50 shot the Justice Department would move to block Virginia’s law.
The bill requires voters who don’t show identification to cast a provisional ballot that will only be counted if the voter later returns with proper identification.
Some Democrats argued the bill is intended to suppress voter turnout among minorities, young people and the elderly. Republican supporters of the bill insist it will prevent voter fraud.
Virginia is one of 16 states that must have changes made to voting laws approved by the federal government because of a history of discrimination.
Texas and South Carolina passed voter id bills and both have been challenged in court.
Last week Texas was told by the US Justice Department that their voter id law would discriminate against minority voters, specifically Hispanic voters who would be more likely not to have a photo id.
However, Virginia’s bill expands on the type of identification deemed acceptable to include things like utility bills and bank statements.
“The DOJ has overreached its Voting Rights Act authority in rejecting South Carolina and Texas. That will get litigated and DOJ, I expect them to lose,’’ Cuccinelli said in a segment that aired Sunday on C-SPAN.
Last week Governor Bob McDonnell’s spokesman told CBS 6 he is reviewing the bill.
