# Did anyone check your ID when voting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 2, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255 "2010-11-02T21:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/1 "2010-11-02T21:29:49Z")
Did anyone check your ID when voting? I went in to vote today and all they did was asked me my name, they looked me up alphabetically in a book, I signed by my name, got a ballot and voted. Are they supposed to check IDs? What would stop me from going in there every couple hours looking a bit different and giving them my neighbors name and voting in their place? What would they do if I came in to vote and somebody had already signed by my name? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/2 "2010-11-02T21:31:37Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Did anyone check your ID when voting? > I went in to vote today and all they did was asked me my name, they looked me up alphabetically in a book, I signed by my name, got a ballot and voted. > Are they supposed to check IDs? > What would stop me from going in there every couple hours looking a bit different and giving them my neighbors name and voting in their place? > What would they do if I came in to vote and somebody had already signed by my name? AFAIK it is illegal to check IDs at polling places. Needing an ID to vote would constitute a _de facto_ poll tax, which would be an infringement on the franchise. ETA: I see that some states have enacted laws that require a gov’t issued ID in order to be able to exercise the franchise. Not sure how they got around the poll tax aspect. I suspect some lawyer-type will be along soon enough to 'splain it to us. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/3 "2010-11-02T21:40:35Z")
Nope. Nobody even asked what my name was. The poll worker just glanced at me, then looked my name up in the big book of voters & had me sign. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/4 "2010-11-02T21:42:59Z")
Yes. they checked my ID when I voted. You can’t vote at a booth if you don’t have it here, but I believe you can get a poll to be mailed in. For what that’s worth, after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/5 "2010-11-02T21:47:27Z")
MO requires a govt-issued ID to vote. It’s generally easiest just to provide a DL, which is what I did. You can get a free voter ID card that is also acceptable (which I believe circumvents the poll tax concern). There are also provisional ballots available if you are challenged or aren’t on the rolls. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/6 "2010-11-02T21:48:42Z")
Last time I went to polls, I produced my voter registration. they looked it up in the books. I do absentee ballots now. But have to go for primaries and local votes. ---
**Author:** ![CyclopticXander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@CyclopticXander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyclopticXander)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/7 "2010-11-02T21:50:49Z")
States decide the rules on this. This might be helpful. [http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16602](http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16602) I’ve always been asked for ID, and we asked for IDs when I worked the polls. When I voted today in SC there was a very visible sign right outside saying that you needed some sort of ID, photo or voter’s registration card. In a lot of places they will give you a provisional ballot if you don’t have an ID, and you can prove your identity later to have the vote counted, there are lots of little things like that. Poll workers don’t always follow the rules though and it is very possible to not be asked in a state that requires it, and yes in that case you could indeed vote fraudulently. If someone actually reports voter fraud, I imagine both the voter and the poll worker would be on the hook. If someone goes to vote but their name has already been used, most poll workers would be required to report it and it would be investigated. The voter would still be allowed to cast a ballot in most cases. Once again though, voting practices are state issues except in the federal laws that trump the states (voting rights and such). So the answer is it’s kinda sticky. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/8 "2010-11-02T21:59:21Z")
I was asked for ID, and presented my voter registration card. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/9 "2010-11-02T22:03:08Z")
Yes. Texas voter here. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/10 "2010-11-02T22:07:58Z")
Yep, gave them my drivers license. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/11 "2010-11-02T22:18:49Z")
PA voter checking in. They checked my signature against the one in the book, but that’s it. One of the ladies in front of me was a new voter (or hadn’t voted recently) and didn’t have an existing signature in the book. They asked her for an ID with a picture and signature on it, she gave them her driver’s license (which had both), and they checked her signature against that. (I should point out that she was already in the registry book - it’s just that her existing entry didn’t include a signature.) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/12 "2010-11-02T22:24:20Z")
Yep I was asked for I’D and gave em my drivers license. Georgia has a history of controlling the vote if it can get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/13 "2010-11-02T22:29:15Z")
I don’t think they’re allowed to check your ID in California. I showed them my sample ballot which has my name and address, since it speeds the check-in process. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/14 "2010-11-02T22:34:12Z")
I produced my voter’s registration card and no further ID was asked for - Texas ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/15 "2010-11-02T22:37:05Z")
Yup - photo ID is required in Indiana. And I’m glad it is. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/16 "2010-11-02T22:43:01Z")
no id here in phila pa. of, course i’ve lived in the same house all my life and 2 of the people working the polls are neighbours that have known me since i was born. we have the match the signature thingy here. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/17 "2010-11-02T22:43:50Z")
Missouri requires an ID, but in addition to passport, driver’s license and the like, Missouri will accept ID issued by a Missouri institution (public or private) of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical school; a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that contains the name and address of the voter; and will also accept as ID an out of state driver’s license. This seems to me to be a perfectly reasonable set of options. Had I been in a mood to play games, I could have showed them the Ontario driver’s license that I still possess. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/18 "2010-11-02T22:43:53Z")
no one asked to see ID. They asked my name, found me on the list and I signed on the line next to my name ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/19 "2010-11-02T23:10:54Z")
North Carolina. They just asked my name and address and looked me up in the computer. No ID. I was tempted to come back later and vote as my neighbor… ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255/20 "2010-11-02T23:11:20Z")
Yes, I was asked for my ID. I didn’t even think about why it would be problematic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-check-your-id-when-voting/559255.md?page=2)