Tennessee officials are reminding voters they’ll be open Saturday to make photo IDs required in next week’s Super Tuesday elections. Officials are downplaying concerns over seniors, many of whose driver’s licenses don’t qualify, saying they can use other IDs to vote.
The state has issued some 17 thousand free photo IDs, mostly to seniors. The trouble is last year officials estimated more than 120 thousand seniors are registered to vote in the state, but don’t have pictures on their driver’s licenses.
Still, Secretary of State Tre Hargett argues many have other options besides a new ID.
“They have an old driver’s license that has their photo on it. They have an old military ID, or a current military ID. Any ID that’s valid – doesn’t have to be current, that’s issued by the state or federal government, with the exception of a college ID.”
Those who show up to vote without an acceptable ID can still cast a provisional ballot. It will count if they come back and show proper ID within two days. An official says early voting in Tennessee saw some forty such ballots, out of around 200 thousand early voters.
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