Senate blocks GOP voter photo-ID bill, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance

The Senate on August 8 declined to advance a Republican bill that would require voters to present photo identification to cast a ballot in federal elections, blocking it on a procedural vote.

Senators voted 52-46 on a motion to invoke cloture — that is, to cut off debate and move to the bill. Because this was a cloture vote on the motion to proceed, it needed the support of three-fifths of the Senate (60 votes) to succeed. With only 52 senators in favor, the motion was rejected and the bill did not advance. Two senators did not vote.

The measure, S. 5271, sponsored by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide a valid photo ID — such as a driver's license, state-issued ID, U.S. passport, military or veterans ID, or Tribal ID — as a condition of casting a ballot. Voters who could not present ID in person could cast a provisional ballot and provide identification, or an affidavit citing a religious objection to being photographed, within three days. Those voting by mail would generally have to include a copy of their photo ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number with an affidavit. Overseas military voters and certain disabled or elderly voters would be exempt.

Arguing for the bill, Husted said requiring photo ID to vote is "common sense" and broadly supported by Americans, telling colleagues the bill was "clean, simple" and imposed "no additional restrictions" and "no prohibitions on absentee voting." He said 36 states already require some form of photo ID.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) urged a no vote, saying the measure was "not a simple voter ID bill" and was stricter than most state voter-ID laws. He objected that it would require voters to include a copy of their ID when voting by mail, and said the bill "would do away with secret ballots as we know it."

Because cloture was not invoked, the bill is stalled on the Senate's motion to proceed. Its sponsors would need to muster 60 votes to overcome the procedural hurdle before the Senate could take up the measure itself.