The campaign to educate the public about photo id requirement for voting has picked up ground.
The requirement will go into effect for elections held after January 1st
of 2012. After that date, people who wish to vote will be required to
show photo identification when they arrive at the polls. Accepted forms
of ID include any photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee, including
drivers licenses and photo IDs issued by other states or the federal
government including US passports, government employees id cards and
military ID cards.
The law, a safeguard against voter fraud allows people who forget to bring
their photo ID’s to the polls to cast provisional ballots and provide
election officials with proof of identity within two business days after
an election. People who vote absentee are not required to show photo ID’s
and people who have religious objections to being photographed may sign
oaths acknowledging their identities.
People who can’t afford other forms of photo id may get a state issued id
free of charge at drivers license offices around the state.
