ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 8, 1996 TAG: 9602080033
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
The Allen administration agreed Wednesday to a compromise motor voter bill that would allow Virginians to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles, some other government offices and by mail.
The House of Delegates' Privileges and Elections Committee voted 15-6 to send the bill implementing the federal motor voter law to the House floor.
Gov. George Allen last year vetoed similar legislation, saying it could lead to voter fraud. He also lost a lawsuit challenging the federal law as unconstitutional.
The committee's action came a day after a Senate panel sent two competing motor voter proposals to the floor because Democrats and the Republican administration were unable to strike a deal. A compromise was reached hours later.
``The administration had no more leverage because they're under court order'' to implement the federal law by March 6, said Del. Marian Van Landingham, an Alexandria Democrat who chairs the House committee.
The chief dispute was over Allen's plan to require voters to show a photo identification card, such as a driver's license, at the polls. Critics of the proposal said it would have a chilling effect on voter participation because of Virginia's history of suppressing black voters with literacy tests and poll taxes.
Allen accepted Democrats' proposal to require voters who register by mail to show ID only the first time they vote. A voter who doesn't have a photo ID could sign a statement attesting to his identity, said Del. James Scott, D-Fairfax, sponsor of the House bill.
Bill supporters and the administration also reached agreement on the agencies other than DMV that would register voters. Allen objected to plans to hold registration at Virginia Employment Commission offices because it would have cost about $600,000 a year for additional staff.
The administration proposed allowing registration instead at Department of Game and Inland Fisheries offices, but there are none north of Fredericksburg. Under the compromise, registration would be conducted at VEC offices in northern Virginia and at game department offices elsewhere. Scott said the additional cost for VEC would be about $75,000 a year.
Under the compromise, registration would be conducted at Virginia Employment Commission offices in Northern Virginia and at Department of Game and Inland Fisheries offices elsewhere.
Both sides agreed to also allow registration at welfare and disability offices and military recruiting centers.
Scott said the administration agreed to carry over until next year its version of the motor voter bill, which was sent to the Senate floor along with a Democrat-backed proposal Tuesday. That would enable Allen to push for the tougher voter ID if he is unhappy with the way the compromise bill works.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB