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Talking Points: Voter ID, Marriage Amendment On Ballot

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- While the Minnesota House and Senate have to iron out differences in their voter ID bills, it does appear that a constitutional amendment requiring voters to present a photo ID will be on the November ballot.

It will join the hotly debated marriage amendment on the ballot.
Supporters of these amendments are already rolling out campaigns to gain support.

They also will have to overcome a technicality that makes getting an amendment approved by voters more difficult than you might think.

This November, voters will be casting ballots in contests ranging from the presidential race to school board to local judges. And then voters will have to confront the often lengthy constitutional amendment questions.

What many voters don't realize is that if they skip a constitutional amendment question and don't vote at all, it automatically counts as a "no" vote. And that's a hurdle that supporters are worried about.

Jason Adkins is the executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference. He appeared on WCCO Sunday Morning.

"People need to know that if you don't check the box the government votes no for you so if they actively want to protect marriage between one man and one woman, they actively have to find that measure on the ballot and vote 'yes' and we are going to be telling people that is the case," he said.

Amendment supporters say they are concerned that the more amendments on the ballot the more voters will decide to just skip them -- so backers are hoping to limit the number of amendments on the ballot to two or three.

You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy every Sunday. Next Sunday the show will be changing times. It will start at 10:30 a.m.

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