BREAKING: @GovAndyBeshear has vetoed SB 2, the new photo ID bill for voting: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/20rs/sb2/veto.pdf

h/t @Alex__Ebert

Beshear vetoed law because (1) it will make it harder for Kentuckians to vote; (2) it is not needed as there is no evidence of in-person voter fraud; and (3) people can't even obtain IDs given that state offices are closed during COVID-19.

Legislature can override with majority

Again, even if legislature overrides veto (which will happen by April 15), this law will not be in effect for the June 23 primary.

But it would be in effect in November, and that's a big problem. I urged them to delay to 2021. #COVID19 makes implementation even more troubling.

It is especially concerning that law will require absentee voters to include copy of photo ID. That will be tough if we are still social distancing.

Voters can also include the "reasonable impediment" form if they don't have an ID, but "global pandemic" isn't a listed reason.

I had urged--and initially succeeded--inclusion of "catch all" to reasonable impediment form to cover this kind of situation. Voter could have included reason not on list. The conference committee took that out. That was a mistake and calls constitutionality of law into question

The law is still better than photo ID laws in some other states, in that more IDs will count (including all student IDs and any fed. or KY ID, even if expired). Voters w/o ID can fill out reasonable impediment form and vote a regular ballot at the polls (not a provisional).

But it's ultimately unnecessary and harmful in the end. I'm glad they accepted many of my suggestions so law is more reasonable than it otherwise would have been.

Especially in this new world of #coronavirus it was a mistake to move forward with a law to make it harder to vote

And even if legislature overrides Gov veto, this surely won't be the end of the story in KY. There will likely be a lawsuit, both on issues like absentee voters needing to provide a copy of ID during a global pandemic, and the implementation for fall 2020.

Stay tuned...