CapitolBeatOK Staff Report

Published: 03-Nov-2010

State Sen. John Ford said today (Wednesday, November 3) he was extremely gratified by Tuesday’s passage of State Question 746. Ford was author of the legislative referendum which will protect the integrity of Oklahoma’s voting system by requiring voters to show identification before casting their ballots at the polls.  According to unofficial returns, about 75 percent of voters approved the measure.

“This is simply about ensuring clean and fair elections for all the citizens of our state,” said Ford, who represents Craig, Nowata and Washington counties in the State Senate.  “I believe this pro-active law will strengthen our electoral process and increase public confidence in our government.”

In future elections, voters will be asked to show proof of identity which can be any document issued by state, federal or tribal government that includes a name and photograph.  If the voter does not have an official ID card, such as a driver license, they can simply show their county issued Voter ID card.

“Two years ago, states with the most stringent voter identification requirements had larger turnouts than neighboring states with similar demographics that didn’t have these protections,” Ford said.  “I want to thank Oklahoma voters for their vote to enhance the integrity of our electoral process.”