How voter ID opponents defeated the amendment
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Bud Johnston’s decision about whether he would support the proposed voter identification amendment on Tuesday’s ballot came down to the wire.
For weeks, Johnston, of Pipestone, waffled between his belief that voters should provide identification in one way or another and his question about whether altering the state’s constitution permanently was a good idea.
“I just thought about it quite a bit and just couldn’t really make up my mind,” Johnston said. “The very words ‘constitutional amendment’ just really turned me off.”
Ultimately, Johnston voted against the proposal, which would have required voters to show photo identification at the polls in an effort to prevent what proponents argued is widespread voter fraud.
He’s just one of many voters who helped swing public opinion against the constitutional amendment in the last days of the campaign. For months, it appeared that the voter ID amendment would pass. As late as the end of October, two polls found the proposal had a healthy lead among voters.
