By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle voters will need to bring identification with them when they cast their ballots in the Sept. 9 tax referendum.
New voter identification laws went into effect this week, according to Attorney General Bill Pryor. People casting their ballots in the up-coming constitutional amendment referendum will be required to present identification at the polls. The law also mandates all polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
The laws are designed to reduce voter fraud, according to Pryor.
"The implementation of our new voter identification law is a tremendous victory for honest elections and the voters of Alabama," Pryor said. "Voter ID is a basic and reasonable safeguard that will preserve the integrity of our elections and protect the fundamental rights of our citizens to cast their votes."
The law allows for a variety of items to be used as voter identification, including:
A provision of the law does allow voters to cast their ballot without identification, as long as two poll workers positively identify them as registered votes. If the poll workers cannot identify them, the person may still cast a ballot, expect it will then be considered a challenged ballot. Criminal penalties are in place for casting an improper ballot.
Voter identification is not yet required for those casting absentee ballots.