Voters Should Show ID, Peterson Says

Voters should be required to show identification before casting their ballots, State Rep. George Peterson, R-Grafton, told selectmen Tuesday.

He said that when he goes to a bank or buys a beer at a sporting event, he is asked for identification. Requesting the same thing before voting is “reasonable to ask,’’ he said.

That opinion followed a comment by selectman David Ross, who noted that he was not asked for identification when he voted earlier in the day at after the presidential primary.

Although poll workers recognized Ross, he questioned what would happen if they didn’t and noted that they would have to take him, or any voter, at his or her word.

Peterson said he supports requiring voters to show identification but said the issue appears to be moving slowly on the legislative level.

The issue has a better chance of passage via a ballot question in the November election, he said. An effort is under way now to secure the needed number of signatures, he said.

Selectmen chairman Peter Adams said that, without identification being required, someone could claim to be him and vote in his place.

Peterson said this is less of a concern than people using the names of recently deceased residents.

Grafton does a good job of updating the voter list regularly to avoid this, he said. But the issue can cause problems in cities, with a larger and more transient population, he said.

He said one argument against requiring a government-issued ID is that some people who do not have a license may not be able to afford it.

Peterson said there should be a way to provide free identification cards for those who need them.