My wife and I went to vote during the primaries and took our usual IDs (Minnesota driver’s license and voter registration card).

I presented mine to the election poll worker, but my wife was still getting hers from her purse. The poll worker told her, “You don’t need ID”; then in a brief moment when his eyesight connected with each of us, we realized the embarrassment of the moment.

All three of us were sadly and knowingly embarrassed by the moment; embarrassed by what had just transpired, knowing that we had come to do a very important thing and were not even required to show we deserved the privilege.

Is this what we’ve come to in America, in Minnesota? Where because of some stupid political ploy by politicians we don’t even have to account for ourselves. Keep the “I voted” sticker and check my ID. I know I voted!

The Minnesota House and Senate should be embarrassed for bill passage allowing voting without proper identification. What were they thinking? And what were their motives? There is nothing wrong with showing ID to vote. Nothing, period.

Please show solidarity with your fellow Minnesotans and stand ready to vote with your ID out for the election poll worker to verify. Please go and vote. This is our time, when we can control our government, instead of the other way around.

James Halbakken

Winona