Oakland County, Michigan, October 29, 2007--Ruth Johnson, the Oakland County Clerk/Register, is reminding voters they will be asked for a valid photo ID at the polls for the Nov. 6 election.

Voters who do not have ID or forget to bring it to the polls can still vote. They must, however, sign an affidavit attesting that they are not in possession of photo identification.

"Workers at polling places will be asking for photo ID to meet the requirements of the new state law," Johnson said.

The Oakland County Clerk's Office is holding two training sessions for poll workers from 9-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 30) in the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium. Trainers will emphasize the new photo ID laws, Johnson said.

"Presenting ID is a part of life today - to rent a video, open a bank account, get through airline security," Johnson said. "The more familiar that workers are with the new rules, the more smoothly the election will run. This is an extra step, but it doesn't have to be difficult."

In addition to state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards, other forms of ID that will be accepted include federally-issued ID, for example, a U.S. passport, a military identification card with a photo or a tribal identification card with a photo. Student identification with a photo may also be used.

"Democracy isn't a spectator sport - voting already demands responsibility," Johnson said. "We have to have a secure system of elections to preserve our freedoms."