Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons says says everything is under control at driver’s license stations, where workers are ready to deal with an influx of citizens who now need a state photo ID for voting.
We realize this new law is increasing the number of citizens needing services at the state’s already overburdened Driver Service Centers. To help reduce the wait time for voters who need government-issued photo IDs, these citizens will be placed in the “express service” category when entering a Driver Service Center.
While there will still be some wait time, we intend to make that wait time as short as reasonably possible.
Citizens should just be sure they bring all the appropriate documents, he says.
On the other hand, Gail Kerr is somewhat skeptical.
Promises, promises. That’s what state officials have offered for decades about the long waiting times. Instead, they fudge the numbers by ignoring the time it takes to get to the first clerk. The state also has rules that are just plain dumb.
Ask Glenn Carter, who brought his 15-year-old to Centennial (driver’s license station) to get her permit. They had all their paperwork. But her school failed to fill in her address, Social Security number and father’s name on the proper form. She had an ID with her address, her actual Social Security card, and her father was standing right there with a valid driver’s license. But the clerk made the duo return to Hillsboro High so school officials could fill in those blanks.