Lawmakers take up Voter I.D. bill

Voters in Rhode Island would have to show an identity card before getting a ballot under a bill that state lawmakers will consider.

Rep. Jon Brien's bill would require residents to show ID papers when voting starting next year. House lawmakers have scheduled a
vote Tuesday afternoon on the proposal from the Woonsocket Democrat.

Under the bill, voters could show driver's licenses, passports, military cards, birth certificates or Medicare cards. By 2012, residents would have to show a photo ID card to get a ballot.

Those who arrive at the polls without the right documentation could vote using a provisional ballot. Local voting officials would later examine those ballots to decide whether they were cast by legal voters.