Politics & Government

Poll: Will Dayton's Photo ID Veto Help the DFL Cause?

Regardless of the veto, the Constitutional amendment will be on the ballot this fall.

Less than a week after the , Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed it Monday.

The passage of the measure puts voters in charge of deciding whether to . However, constitutional amendments do not need the governor's signature, making Dayton's veto a symbolic one.

Dayton acknowledged his action won't stop the amendment from appearing on the general election ballot this November, however, he called it a "proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing" in a letter to Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove). The amendment "goes far beyond its stated intention to require Photo ID's. Instead, it dismantles Minnesota's Best-in-the-Nation election system" by ending same-day voter registration and requiring new system of provisional ballots, Dayton wrote, adding that it "would severely restrict absentee voting, mail-in voting, and balloting for members of our Armed Forces and others overseas."

Find out what's happening in Richfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dayton's Democrat cohorts in the legislature, including Richfield representatives, have long been opposed to the Republican-backed amendment. has repeatedly stated that he felt Republicans were spending too much time on amendments, rather than tackling . U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has also been very vocal, saying not only would it make it harder to vote, but also .

Will Dayton's public dismissal of the measure help DFLers in their campaign to convince the public to vote the amendment down?

Find out what's happening in Richfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Take our poll below and share your thoughts in the comments section.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here