Senate bill would require states to mandate voter ID along with vaccine passport

As lawmakers in the DMV consider mandating vaccine passports, a new senate bill would require them to also make voters prove who they are when they vote.

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The legislation is the idea of Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota who says if a state forces people to prove their vaccination status, they should also have to prove who they are when they go to vote.

Sen. Cramer says he wants to point out the hypocrisy in Democrats who support vaccine passports but oppose voter IDs.

"It seems just logical that if I had to show Bill Deblasio something that’s personal and private just to have a steak dinner in New York City, the least he should do is require people to prove they are who they say they are before they take on the very important responsibility of voting," says Sen. Cramer.

Incoming Virginia Attorney General Jason Miayes tells FOX 5 he supports the idea.

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"The standard should be easy to vote and hard to cheat," he says. "I think we all should have an interest in making sure that we trust our election system and voter ID is a very simple safe way to do that."

The White House has not endorsed a national vaccine passport. D.C. is considering the idea and last week, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott discussed a region passport with leaders from Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. 

Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin says he would block vaccine passports. Virginia is also the only jurisdiction in the DMV that asks people to show ID before they vote.

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Sen. Cramer admits his bill tying vaccine passports to voter ID has a tough road, but he says he does hope the bill highlights important points in the voter ID debate.