Attorney General rejects bid to require government ID for voting in Massachusetts

NOTE: This is a corrected version of this post.

The state Attorney General's office said today a proposed referendum on requiring government-issued IDs to vote in Massachusetts is unconstitutional because it "infringes on freedom of elections."

Currently, Massachusetts voters facing a residency challenge can present a current utility bill or paycheck stub. The proposal by Mansfield Selectman Olivier Kozlowski would have required people showing up to vote to show a driver's license, passport or government-issued ID card.

Last month, the Attleboro Sun-Chronicle talked to Kozlowski:

Kozlowski said he was not aware of any specific voter fraud problems in Massachusetts, but worries that the system now is vulnerable.

"Every election you hear stories," said Kozlowski, a Republican.

The AG's office said other proposed measures - which will require backers to collect at least 69,000 signatures by December would be constitutional, including measures to require charitable organizations to comply with certain do-not-call restrictions, let supermarkets sell wine, allow the "humanitarian" use of marijuana and repeal the current requirement that Massachusetts resident buy health insurance.