[Washington Examiner] Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed legislation on Tuesday that will require voters in his state to show photo identification prior to voting in elections.
Gordon, a Republican, signed House Bill 75 into law, which will mean that starting in July 2021, Wyoming voters will need to show a valid government-issued photo ID in order to cast their ballots, according to Oil City News.
The bill has been criticized by Democrats in the state, who say voter ID laws suppress turnout, especially in minority communities, while Republicans argue that showing a photo ID discourages voter fraud.
"It is a necessary function of our republic to provide our citizens with confidence that our elections are secure, fair, and valid," Wyoming House state Rep. Chuck Gray, a Republican, said about the legislation. "I am proud that we were able to meet this important milestone for Wyoming."
The signing of the bill comes as voter ID laws and election safeguards overall have been a bitter point of contention between Democrats and Republicans, most notably in Georgia and Texas, where new legislation has prompted liberal boycotts and a decision by Major League Baseball to move the All-Star Game out of Georgia in protest.
Polling released last month showed that a strong majority, 75%, of voters supported voter ID laws, including 69% of black voters. Additionally, a poll in the swing state of Michigan this week showed that 72% of voters support the idea of showing a photo ID in order to vote. In that poll, 58% of black voters voiced support for voter ID laws.
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