Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed legislation that would mandate voters in his state show a photo ID at polling places before voting.
The vetoed bill, known as Senate Bill 2, would have required voters in Kentucky to either show an ID before voting or show a social security card or credit card and sign an affidavit promising they are who they say they are, according to Cincinnati Public Radio.
The bill also created a way for Kentuckians to acquire a photo ID for free at any county clerk’s office.
“I am vetoing Senate Bill 2 because the provisions of the law would create an obstacle to the ability of Kentuckians to exercise their right to vote, resulting in fewer people voting and undermining our democracy,” Beshear said in a statement. “Furthermore, no documented evidence of recent voter fraud in the form of impersonation in Kentucky has been presented.”
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a supporter of the bill, maintained that the legislation was meant to ensure confidence in the election process, and he argued that Kentucky is vulnerable to election fraud.
“It’s a perfect storm for election fraud,” he said when the bill was introduced. “We’ve got people on the rolls who shouldn’t be there, who’ve died or moved to another state, and then there’s no proof of identity.”
Democrats nationwide have long maintained that voter ID laws suppress the minority vote, which contradicts a Washington Post poll from earlier this year showing that 92% of black voters say they have not experienced voter suppression in the last 10 years.
Over the last several years, voter fraud has been documented in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.
The Heritage Foundation has compiled a list of over 1,000 confirmed cases of voter fraud across 47 states, resulting in 938 criminal convictions.
Late last year, Beshear restored the voting rights of over 140,000 convicted felons in the state via executive order.
