Mondale, Carlson will lead anti-voter ID campaign

Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former Gov. Arne Carlson will lead the effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls. They’ll be joined by former congressman Tim Penny and veteran civil rights activist Josie Johnson as co-chairs of Our Vote Our Future, the main group working against the amendment.

“This amendment will do great harm to our reputation as a state with high voting integrity,” Penny said, in a statement. “I am hopeful that Minnesotans will realize that we do not want to create burdens on those — like elderly veterans — who have sacrificed for this country and will have a hard time retaining their Constitutional right to vote.”

The four co-chairs represent all three of the state’s major political parties. On Saturday the Independence Party passed a resolution opposing the photo ID amendment. The DFL party passed a similar resolution at its state convention earlier this month.

Our Vote Our Future also announced formation of an advisory committee. Among those included are former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice and former state Rep.  Kathleen Blatz; 2010 Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner; former DFL U.S. Rep. David Minge; Minnesota Farmers Union president Doug Peterson; former Republican state Sen. George Pillsbury; and Lao Family Center president Chung Pen Lee.