Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, where I am the Ranking Member, held a hearing on voter fraud.
One of our most important responsibilities of citizenship is the opportunity to cast ballots. Part of that responsibility is preventing the dilution of those votes by stopping ineligible voters from casting ballots. Unfortunately, states that are working to ensure the integrity of elections are being unfairly taken to court.
The lawsuits are often based on the claim that fraud doesn't exist. But evidence shows fraud does exist.
In Iowa, the Secretary of State compared drivers' license applications with voter registrations. Iowa's application for a driver's license includes a box where the applicant checks if they are a citizen. He found that 3,500 foreign nationals were registered in the state since 2008. All of them were ineligible to vote. But 1,200 did vote in 2010.
Instances like this show there's a need for voter-ID requirements. In a Washington Post poll last month, 74 percent of those surveyed expressed support for voter ID requirements at polling places. Voters overwhelmingly recognize that in a society in which people must show photo ID to board a plane, they should have to show photo ID to vote. It's common sense.
We've seen close elections where just a few votes make a difference. The level of fraud that we know exists can determine the outcome of any particular election. This is as unacceptable as turning away eligible voters.
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