Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC-01) this week introduced the Vaccine Passport and Voter ID Harmonization Act, bicameral legislation to require states with COVID-19 vaccine passport mandates to also have voter ID requirements if they want to continue receiving election administration funds.
“It makes no sense for Democrats to adamantly oppose commonsense Voter ID policies which protect the integrity of our elections,” said Senator Cramer. “If they’re comfortable making people show their private medical records to simply go to a restaurant, they should be fine having people prove they are who they say they are before they vote. Our legislation shines a light on their hypocrisy.”
“Showing an ID is something we must do in everyday life. We need an ID when we get a job, cash our paychecks, rent an apartment, buy a car, buy alcohol or even cold medicine. States who mandate vaccine passports should be just as rigorous when it comes to something as important as protecting the right to vote,” said Representative Mace. “I am introducing legislation to require all states and local jurisdictions that institute vaccine passports to also require voter identification in ALL federal elections. It makes too much sense not to.”
Senator Cramer previously announced his intent to introduce this legislation and recently joined Fox & Friends to discuss the issue. Learn more here.
While 20 states, including North Dakota, have banned vaccine passports either through executive action or legislation (and each of those states have voter ID laws in place), four states have helped create digital vaccine passports to serve as a government-backed proof-of-vaccination: California, New York, Oregon, and Hawaii. The federal government provides states election administration funds through grants authorized under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, for which Congress appropriated $425 million in Fiscal Year 2020 for states to improve the administration of federal elections through enhanced technology and security measures. This legislation would place voter ID requirements on those funds if states also have vaccine passport mandates.
Recent polling shows overwhelming, bipartisan support for Voter ID laws. According to a Monmouth University poll released in June 2021, 80 percent of Americans back the concept of Voter ID laws, including 62 percent of Democrats and 87 percent among independents. After the Senate voted on Democrats’ $4 trillion budget resolution early Wednesday morning, they voted to reconsider a liberal elections package which would overrule state Voter ID laws. Senator Cramer had previously announced his opposition to the measure and again voted no.
