Letter: Stymied while trying to vote

I was hassled at the polls July 12 because I didn’t have a photo ID. I repeated my name and address to receive my ballot.

The poll worker continued to ask for a photo ID even after I told her that I did not have an ID nor did I need an ID to vote.

I finally asked the workers if they were telling people that a photo ID was required to vote. They didn’t answer, so I also asked if they were turning people away if they did not have a photo ID.

At this point another poll worker, who had been watching, finally came up to tell the workers that I did not need to present an ID to vote.

The two workers said that they were required to ask for an ID and the man said they were just asking that to make sure that people are aware that they will need an ID for next year’s election.

I told him that if I hadn’t already known that I did NOT need a photo ID, I most certainly would have been under the impression that I would not be able to vote that day without one.

I asked him the same two questions that I had asked the other workers. I got a ballot, but he refused to answer my questions.

He assured me that he would talk to the poll workers to be sure that they were not misguiding people.

My son later told me that he also had been hassled. He said that he felt intimidated and probably would not have voted due to that if he had been by himself.

I am appalled and wondering how many were turned away before me, and after. This new law only serves to suppress votes.

Tags: river falls, opinion, letters, voting