BLUNT VOWS TO SIGN VOTER ID BILL

Missourians who vote this fall must show a valid photo ID to cast a ballot.

The Missouri General Assembly on Friday sent the bill to Gov. Matt Blunt for his signature. Blunt has already told Secretary of State Robin Carnahan -- the election authority in Missouri -- that he will sign the bill.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports:

The governor called Carnahan’s concerns about the requirement 'exaggerated.'"

"I have been a longtime supporter of a photo identification requirement," Blunt said. "The improvements we made to the identification requirements in 2002 helped restore Missourians confidence in the elections process after the disastrous 2000 general election which was eclipsed only by Florida in terms of fraud and irregularities.

"Senate Bill 1014 continues the good work we started in the secretary of state’s office that contributed to record voter turnout in both the August and November 2004 elections. I look forward to signing it into law when it reaches my desk."

Will it lead to voters being turned away from the polls? That's the fear of many Democrats, and it explains why the soon-to-be-law will wind up in court before it's ever enacted.