Is photo ID already in place?

Rep Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, offered an unusually frank anecdote about voter identification this afternoon during debate about Senate file 509, the photo ID bill.

He said he'd been out talking to voting officials and says they've been "working on it" -- on their own -- for "the past few years."

Here's what he actually said on the floor of the Minnesota House this afternoon:

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"I've talked with election judges in southern Minnesota, including a head election judge of a precinct, that says, you know what, it may not be the law, but we've been working on photo id for the past few years, and as of this last election, even though it is not the law, there are election judges in Minnesota, today, asking for photo ID, for the drivers' license, of everyone that comes through to vote."

We sent the comments to Wabasha County officials to see if Drazkowski's home county or Mazeppa township might have voter ID already.

We couldn't reach the County Auditor. But here's what Wabasha County Attorney Jim Nordstrom had to say when we sent him the remarks by Rep. Drazkowski.

I can tell you that my wife and I have voted in Wabasha County since 1976. No election judge has ever asked me or my wife for a picture ID. I have been present when many other voters have been at my polling place and have never seen or heard anyone be asked to produce a picture ID. I have never been told by anyone that voters in Wabasha County have been required to show picture IDs.

Anybody out there been carded at the polls?