LEGAL MATTERS: Do You Have the Right ID to Vote in November?

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Susan G. Pegden and Sean P. Feeney, GoLocalProv Legal Contributors

Whether you agree or disagree with voter ID, the fact is that Rhode Island law now requires you to show some form of ID when you vote in November.

Here’s what you can use:

• RI driver’s license

• U.S. passport

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• ID card issued by an educational institution in the United States

• U.S. military identification card

• ID card issued by the U.S. government or State of Rhode Island like a RIPTA bus pass

• Government issued medical card

• RI Voter ID

• Employee ID card

• ID card provided by a commercial establishment

• Credit or debit card

• Health club ID card

• Insurance plan ID card

• Public housing ID card

For this election and 2013, you can also use other types of IDs. These IDs must include your name and address as it appears in the poll book and be dated since Nov. 2, 2010. If the document is a so-called “permanent document” (a birth certificate, Social Security card or a government issued medical card) then the document only has to show your name.

• Birth certificate

• Social security card

• Government-issued medical card

• Utility bill

• Bank statement

• Any document issued by a government agency

• Lease or rental statement

• Student ID

• Tuition statement or bill

• Insurance plan card

If you are voting by mail ballot, you may not need ID. If your ballot is notarized then your notary, unless you are personally known to that person, is required to request proof of identification before attesting to your signature.

How do I get an ID?

For those who do not currently possess any of the standard photo IDs such as an ID issued by the DMV, the military, or US educational institution; a US passport or a government-issued medical card, you can apply for a free voter ID through the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office.

To apply you will need to provide one of the other forms of identification already referenced. The documents must meet the same qualifications laid out above – they must have been issued since the last election and include your name – unless it is a so-called permanent document. If you have none of these, then the Secretary of State’s office will still allow you to apply but they will compare your signature on the voter ID application with your signature in their voter files. If the signatures match you will receive your voter ID.

To apply, you can contact the Rhode Island Secretary of State Elections division, 148 West River Street, Providence RI 02904 or call them at 222-2340 or visit www.sos.ri.gov

You can also get a state ID from the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The state ID, issued by the DMV, is recommended for persons who do not possess a drivers’ license and need a government-issued ID. It is good not only for voting but also for providing appropriate identification for any other purpose in which a government-issued ID is required. There is no fee for identification cards for persons 60 and older and adults with disabilities. For more information, go to: http://www.dea.ri.gov/programs/idcards.php

Next week we will tackle what you can do if you have a problem at the polls.

The foregoing is offered for informational purposes only and is not legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.

Susan G. Pegden is a litigation associate with the Law Firm of Hamel, Waxler, Allen & Collins in Providence.  She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Rhode Island Association of Justice (RIAJ) and a member of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association.

Sean P. Feeney is a partner with the Law Firm of Hamel, Waxler, Allen & Collins. He is admitted to practice in Rhode Island, Illinois and Wisconsin. Mr. Feeney is a former special counsel to the City of Providence, military prosecutor with the United States Marine Corps and Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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