A letter writer on today's page raises an alarm about the decision by some states, including neighboring North Carolina, to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. While that concern may seem exaggerated, it may be, as the writer contends, that driver's licenses can open the ballot boxes to non-citizens in some states. But a spokesperson for the Department of Motor Vehicles gives persuasive reasons it is unlikely to happen in South Carolina.
It is true that driver's licenses and voter registration have seemed intertwined since national voter motor legislation was passed a decade ago. While South Carolina resisted, it ultimately was forced to allow motor vehicle offices to also serve voter registration functions. Today, a driver's license is just as acceptable as a voter registration card as a means of identification when you go to the polls. It's not inconceivable that someone not on the registration books who goes to the polls with a driver's license could manage to vote at least a challenged ballot.
According to a recent story by business reporter Frank Norton, 14 states now allow undocumented immigrants to use Mexican-issued ID cards to obtain driver's licenses. The story cited the case of a North Charleston woman who went to North Carolina to obtain such a license, which she has used to buy a motor vehicle.
Charleston Rep. John Graham Altman, the author of pre-emptive legislation that would keep such licenses from being issued in this state, also wants to make sure the North- Carolina-type licenses can't be transferred. Beth Parks, a spokesperson for DMV, says there's no cause for concern.
Not only does South Carolina require all new drivers to present a birth certificate, she says that same requirement is true for those transferring a license from another state. The state DMV, she said, has very strict rules on proof of citizenship.
Of course there are few fail-safe systems as evidenced by recent news stories of two DMV employees accused of selling licenses. But Ms. Parks says those stories are evidence that tough new anti-fraud measures are working.
Rep. Altman doesn't dispute the fact that DMV has tightened rules against issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. But he wants prohibitions against Mexican ID cards, for example, very clearly written into law. Concerns about illegal voting may be the most persuasive reason to ensure the existing ban.
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