Editor:
In the June 29 issue of the Kevin Hickey makes a case against photo voter IDs (Voting is both a right and a duty). He conveniently leaves out three very important facts.
1. The 2002 federal Help America Vote Act requires any voter who registered by mail and who has not previously voted in a federal election to show current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
2. Many states who require photo voter IDs will provide them free of charge to those who cannot afford them.
3. Voter fraud and fraudulent voter registrations are a reality. There have been numerous accounts of voter rolls containing people who are not eligible to vote: dead people, cartoon characters and people in this country illegally.
Yes, voting is a right reserved for every citizen of this country over 18 years of age and alive at the time of the vote. Yes, it is a duty for everyone eligible to vote once per election. Photo voter IDs insure the fairness and accuracy of the American electoral process.
Steven Bozza
Collingswood