(Warwick, R.I.) Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today spoke out against H.R. 4844 – the Voter ID Act of 2006.

“I strongly oppose H.R. 4844 because of the dangerous impact it would have on voter participation in the United States,” said Langevin. “Should this bill become law, fewer eligible citizens will be able to vote because they lack proper identification or documentation. Maybe it is an elderly woman who leaves her home of fifty years to enter an assisted living facility.  It could be a resident of New Orleans whose public records were lost in the wake of Katrina's destruction. The list could go on and on.  However, these people have one thing in common. Once they are turned away from voting, it is unlikely they will return.  They may not return that day because of a lack of time or transportation.  Or they may not return in future elections because of the hassle they experienced.  New obstacles to voting will cause many to drop out of the nation’s election system because it failed them.”

Not only would H.R. 4844 make it harder for nearly every American to vote, but it would also add massive new compliance requirements for election officials.  It also unnecessarily duplicates current law, which requires that voters in federal elections be U.S. citizens.  Fraudulent voter registration is a felony punishable by five years in prison.  Furthermore, the bill does not address other, more prevalent forms of voter fraud and additional problems that were witnessed in recent elections. 

When Langevin served as the Rhode Island Secretary of State, he led an effort to reform the state’s elections.  He replaced voting equipment – the oldest in the country at the time – made polling places accessible, and significantly reduced error rates. 

“My job was to make voting open and accessible to eligible citizens, and to encourage people to participate in the process,” continued Langevin. “From that experience, I know that this legislation would do practically nothing to reduce fraud while creating new barriers for Americans to vote.”

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