AUGUSTA, Maine - A proposal to require people to show photo identification in order to vote has been defeated because the House and Senate couldn't agree on the bill.
The Republican-led Senate narrowly approved the bill last week, but the Democratic-controlled House rejected it on Tuesday. The bill died on Thursday after the House insisted that the bill not pass.
The measure would have allowed people who can't present an ID on Election Day to cast a provisional ballot. They'd have to prove their identity within five days.
Republicans said it was a common-sense measure to safeguard against potential voter fraud.
But Democratic Rep. Louie Luchini, co-chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, said in a statement on Thursday that the measure "does nothing but suppress voting.''