Your view: Editorial critic

Michael Jensen's opinion piece on proposed changes to voter identification laws ("Voter identification will help fight fraud", 2/14/06) mischaracterizes the current status of Missouri's election law. Readers should be aware of this oversight.

Though Jensen correctly notes that a bill pending in the General Assembly would "require voters to show photo identification when they vote," he later adds unnecesary confusion by declaring, "it makes all the sense in the world to require a voter to identify themselves (sic)." That statement incorrectly suggests to readers that Missouri law does not presently include a polling place identification requirement for voters.

In fact, the Revised Statutes of Missouri section 115.427 already requires that voters present identification, and lists several acceptable forms.

Whether one agrees with Jensen's dubious claim that creation of a state-

issued voting license would represent an "improvement" to our election process, all should agree that a clear exposition of the current state of the law is integral to informed debate on the subject. Jensen's column, with its muddy description of Missouri law, fails readers on that count.

Sincerely,

Howard Beale

Jefferson City, MO