ABC Anchor and Sen. Warner Discuss Virginia Voter ID Rules and Varying State Standards

ABC News anchor Jon Karl corrected Sen. Mark Warner on Sunday about Virginia's voter identification rules during an appearance on the network's This Week program. Warner had said the state maintains voter ID and photo ID requirements.

Karl replied that Virginia voters do not need to show voter ID and listed a wide range of documents that satisfy the rule. Karl added that voters without acceptable identification can cast a provisional ballot after signing an affidavit. Warner responded that states vary in the forms they accept and noted that some accept NRA gun licenses while rejecting student IDs.

He called for uniform standards drawn from official sources. The Virginia Department of Elections lists acceptable identification that includes non-photographic documents such as water bills, utility bills, bank statements, government checks and paychecks. State law requires election officers to ask in-person voters for identification.

Voters without acceptable identification may sign an ID Confirmation Statement under felony penalties and cast a regular ballot, while those who provide neither must cast a provisional ballot. Fox News reported that the exchange prompted criticism from three Republicans seeking the party's nomination to challenge Warner in the Senate race. Marine Reserves Lt.

Col. David Williams said Warner had spent nearly two decades representing Virginia yet did not know the state's voter ID laws. Retired Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa stated that Warner opposes the SAVE Act and questioned his position on election security.

Tech executive Kim Farington posted on X that Warner either does not know the requirements after three terms or is not telling Virginians the truth. The SAVE Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.