The closing of driver’s license offices in two counties that played a major role in the voting rights movement in 1965 could make it difficult for people to exercise their right to vote.

Due to budget cuts, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is closing 31 satellite driver’s license offices, including locations in Perry and Lowndes counties, who both played a significant role in the fight for voting rights.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell, who represents the Seventh Congressional District and is a Selma native, denounced the decision because it impacts people in her district more so than others in the state.

The closures affect eight counties that are in Sewell’s district.

“The voices of our most vulnerable citizens have been further silenced by the decision to close 31 driver’s license offices across Alabama,” Sewell said in a statement.

According to Sewell’s statement, the closures will leave 31 counties without a driver’s license office, and 15 of them are in the Black Belt.

“This fact means many of my constituents who have limited modes of transportation will be denied an equal opportunity to obtain a means to vote,” Sewell said. “To restrict the ability of any Alabamian to vote is an assault on the rights of all Alabamians to equally participate in the electoral process.”

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill issued a statement Thursday saying the impact won’t be as severe as Sewell and others say it will be.

“The closure of 31 DMV offices will not leave citizens without a place to receive the required ID card to vote,” Merrill said. “All 67 counties in Alabama have a Board of Registrars that issue photo voter ID cards.”

There are 10 different forms of identification that can be used to vote in Alabama, including a valid driver’s license, a valid state or federal issued ID, a non-driver ID, an Alabama photo voter ID or a passport.

Other valid forms of identification are employee IDs from the federal or state government, city or county government or other entities of the state, as well as military and tribal IDs.

Despite there being other options for valid forms of identification, Sewell said driver’s licenses are the most popular.

“Under Alabama’s voter ID law, only a handful of photo identification can be used at polling places, and the state-issued driver’s license is the most popular form of identification presented,” Sewell said. “To limit access to obtaining a driver’s license — while insisting on a photo ID to vote — is an unconscionable and overt barrier to voting.”

Merrill assures that people with limited access will be able to get a valid photo voter ID by Oct. 31.

“If for some reason those citizens are not able to make it to the Board of Registrars, we’ll bring our mobile ID van and crew to that county,” Merrill said. “By Oct. 31 our office will have brought the mobile ID van to every county in Alabama at least once.”

Sewell said the voter ID law that went into affect in 2014 and the closure of 31 offices is reminiscent to days of the past when people were denied to register to vote.

Sewell is seeking to have the voter ID law rescinded or the offices to be reopened.

“I am calling on Alabama lawmakers to reverse this ill-conceived decision and to rescind the voter ID law,” Sewell said. “As elected officials, we should be encouraging citizens to vote, not creating barriers that limit access to the ballot box. We should restore the vote rather than restrict it.”

Information on online driver’s license renewal can be found at www.ALRenewal.com, and information on obtaining a photo voter ID can be found at alabamavoterid.com.

Voter IDs can be obtained in Marion at 300 Washington St., Suite 102, Marion, AL, 36104 and in Hayneville at 205 Tuskeena St. E., Room 101, Hayneville, AL, 36040.