Both West Virginia and Ohio's legislatures have considered tough voter laws requiring photo identification. A proposal last year in the West Virginia Legislature requiring a photo ID. failed to get the approval of both houses. A similar law in ohio has passed the House, but not yet in the Senate. Ohio currently does request various forms of identification, including a utility bill.

But Wood County Clerk Jamie Six says the most common and effective way of checking a voter's identity, is through his John Hancock.

"We have their signature on file," he says. "We have them sign in again when they come in to vote. If the poll worker isn't comfortable that the signature isn't who they think it belongs to, they have the right to ask for ID. But we don't have an across-the-board-everybody-must-ask-for-ID law."

And in Ohio, as in Wood County, Washington County's board of elections can usually tell by a voter's signature whether there's an ID problem. And if there is, a poll worker can compare a voter's identification form or photo ID. at the polling place.

"They're going to have a form which has their birth date, or, if they're using their drivers license, they'll see their drivers license number, or the last four digits of your ( Social Security number)," says Peggy Byers, Director, Washington County Board of Elections. {"Those items are all printed in the books for a poll worker to compare. If you vote by mail, you have to write those items down. So there's a comparison before we ever process a ballot."

Six, who has been in office more than 25 years, says he has not encountered one instance of fraud in Wood County elections.