HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — His portrait hangs in the courthouse where he went to cast an advance ballot, but a former Kansas judge says that wasn’t enough satisfy the state’s new voter photo identification law.

Retired Reno County District Judge Richard Rome was denied a primary election ballot last week because he didn’t have photo identification with him.

Rome says he was stunned — especially because the three people at the polling table knew him.

 

His driver’s license was in the glove compartment of his car. Rome recently renewed his driver’s license and was given a piece of paper for the interim. He was advised he could throw the old license away. The old license is still current, he said, so he put it and the paper in the glove compartment.

Rome retrieved the license and cast the Democratic primary ballot.

Rome tells the “Hutchinson News” he had read news stories about alleged voter fraud and voter ID and had not thought much about it. The 77-year-old Democrat says, in his opinion, the law is intended to keep the poor and the old and minorities from voting.

The poll workers at the courthouse said only two or three people have not had a photo identification with them. They also said they are requiring everyone – including Reno County Deputy Election Officer Jenna Fager – to show identification before voting.