Out of Touch

Senator Mark Obenshain
Wed, 10 April 2013

Yesterday, Democratic Attorney General candidate Mark Herring took aim at the 75% of Virginia voters who support photo identification requirements, calling simple identification requirements "discriminatory" and ominously intoning that "[t]he right to vote is under siege."

That's nonsense. I know it, you know it, and what's more, he knows it.

There's a reason why 75% of Virginia voters back photo identification requirements: they just make sense! Our entire system of government is based on the promise of free and fair elections, and requiring photo identification is an effective way to prevent fraud and shore up flagging voter confidence in the electoral process.

According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, my recently-enacted photo ID legislation enjoys broad support across every single demographic tested: Republicans, Democrats, Independents, men, women, blacks, whites, young and old alike—and why shouldn't it? Photo ID requirements are ubiquitous these days; you can't even buy cold medication without it! And for those few who lack photo ID, my bill provides an easy way to obtain one free of charge.

But that's not enough for Mark Herring, who says that Photo ID requirements are "in violation of everything I stand for."

Really? What an interesting set of principles…

Herring is urging his supporters to sign a petition asking Eric Holder to block this common sense election reform initiative. Let's counter that by showing just how many Virginians back Photo ID requirements. Click here to tell Mark Herring and his liberal allies how out of touch he is!