Virginia's voter-identification law has worked well since it took effect in 2000, Virginia registrars said yesterday.

The Virginia law, which is not as strict as Indiana's, allows a voter to present almost any form of identification at the polls.

But if prospective voters do not have identification or are not carrying it, they can sign affidavits that they are who they said they are and cast provisional ballots.

Because Virginia law does not require a photo ID, yesterday's Supreme Court decision does not apply to Virginia, said Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.

The Virginia law passed over the objections of General Assembly Democrats, who said it would intimidate prospective voters, particularly African-Americans, who have had to deal with restrictive voter laws in the past. But there is little evidence that it has done so, registrars said.

King Salim Khalfani, executive director of the state NAACP, said the law has created some problems because poll workers sometimes don't give prospective voters the option of casting provisional ballots.

Kirk Showalter, Richmond's registrar, remembered a couple of instances when the person refused to show an ID or to sign the affidavit, but overall the law has created no problems.

Although someone who signs a false statement of identity is subject to a felony penalty, Showalter said the registrars don't check the signatures afterward, because they don't have the expertise to do handwriting analyses. But on Election Day, precinct officials check the signature against the voting rolls, she said.

Frances Ragland, Goochland County's registrar, could recall few instances in which someone was discouraged from voting.

Voter registration in the eight years since the law was passed has increased about 500,000.

Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, a candidate for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, proposed a bill in this year's General Assembly session that would require a voter to produce a state-issued photo ID.

It was killed in a House of Delegates committee controlled by Republicans.
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.