Big Sky Times

Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a new voter ID measure bill that will require people with certain ID types to present two forms of identification to vote. 

Senate Bill 169 (SB 169) will require voters that do not have a government-issued photo ID, such as a state driver's license or conceal and carry license, to bring two forms of ID to verify their identification. 

“Montana has a long history of secure, transparent elections, setting a standard for the nation,” Gianforte said in a statement, as reported by Yellowstone Times. “These new laws will help ensure the continued integrity of Montana’s elections for years to come.”

SB 169, sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe (R-Eureka), requires Montanans with certain forms of previously accepted photo IDs, such as student IDs, to present secondary identification when casting votes. Secondary IDs include forms such as utility bills, paychecks or mail proving a voter’s name and current address, The Western News reported. SB 169 will also end same-day registration for voting to help with voter identity verification. 

The Montana Freepress reported that Republican Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen specifically requested the new voter ID laws because “voter ID and voter registration deadlines are best practices in protecting the integrity of elections.” 

Critics of the bill, such as Keaton Sunchild, political director for Western Native Voice, said passing SB 169 is a “slap in the face” to Montanans, signals a “lack of trust,” and can create a financial barrier for Montanans who cannot afford to go get a government-issued ID. 

“We’re exploring legal paths forward, if this is something we can fight in court and, if so, getting that ball rolling here so that people that want to vote in the 2022 election can do so freely without these undue restrictions,” Sunchild said, according to Montana Freepress. 

Despite these criticisms of the bill, supporters of the measure were certain to include methods that still allowed young voters and the less financially secure to go to the polls by allowing secondary ID's to be bills or paychecks or using their Social Security numbers, The Western News reported.

A Rasmussen Reports survey done nationally via telephone and online found that 75% of likely voters in the U.S. support such measures being required when voting. That percentage is up from the previous 67% from the last survey done in October 2018. Only 21% opposed ideas of such requirements, the survey showed. 

According to the Rasmussen report, 89% of Republicans and 60% of Democrats support voter ID laws and measures, while 77% of voters not affiliated with either major party supported voter ID laws. 

Thirty-six states have enacted some sort of voter ID law to help combat and prevent fraud, the Rasmussen Reports said. 

Previous news reports stated that there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. election.