Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has signed into law a bill requiring voters to show some form of identification — such as a Social Security card or a birth certificate — before casting a ballot in 2012, and a photo identification card in 2014. If an individual does not have such a card, but qualifies for a photo ID, the state will provide this at no cost.

At the signing, Chafee, the son of longtime Republican Sen. John Chafee, explained:

Having reflected a great deal on this issue, I believe that requiring identification at the polling place is a reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.  Notably, I spoke with representatives of our state’s minority communities, and I found their concerns about voter fraud and their support for this bill particularly compelling.

Click here to read the entire article.