Bill would require residency proof for voters

Applicants for voter registration cards in Maryland may have to provide proof of legal U.S. residency under a proposal some criticized as disenfranchisement.

Days after Gov. Martin O?Malley said Maryland will begin requiring proof of legal U.S. residency before a driver?s license is issued, one lawmaker said he wants to apply the same standards to voter registration. Sen. Richard Colburn, an Eastern Shore Republican, said many Marylanders assume proof ? such as a birth certificate, passport or driver?s license ? is already required.