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Fears Over Impact of Voter ID Law in Virginia

Don Rush

WASHINGTON (AP) - Voting rights groups are worried that Virginia's new voter ID law will disenfranchise some Virginians in next month's midterm elections.

Anne Sterling, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia, says that rural, poor and elderly voters could face a harder burden to vote this year because they will have to show a photo ID. Her group is working to help people obtain IDs ahead of the election.

Defenders of the state's voter ID law say it provides ample opportunities for people who don't have photo IDs to get them in time to vote.

The law's sponsor, Republican state Sen. Mark D. Obenshain, argues the law is important because it buttresses voter confidence in the electoral system.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.