Supreme Court upholds photo ID law for voters in Indiana

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws.

In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement, which Democrats and civil rights groups said would deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Its backers said it was needed to prevent fraud.

It was the most important voting rights case since the Bush v. Gore dispute that sealed the 2000 election for George W. Bush. But the voter ID ruling lacked the conservative-liberal split that marked the 2000 case.

The law "is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting 'the integrity and reliability of the electoral process,'" Justice John Paul Stevens said in an opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy. Stevens was a dissenter in Bush v. Gore in 2000.

Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas also agreed with the outcome, but wrote separately.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented, just as they did in 2000.

More than 20 states require some form of identification at the polls. Courts have upheld voter ID laws in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, but struck down Missouri's. Monday's decision comes a week before Indiana's presidential primary.

The decision also could spur efforts to pass similar laws in other states.

Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, said he hadn't reviewed the decision, but he was "extremely disappointed" by it. Falk has said voter ID laws inhibit voting, and a person's right to vote "is the most important right." The ACLU brought the case on behalf of Indiana voters.
Supreme Court upholds photo ID law for voters in Indiana - Yahoo! News

I think this is a good thing.....should cut down on them graveyard votes. Besides that, if ya don't have some type of picture I.D. by the time your of voting age there is something seriously wrong.

Have a good one!:s4:

I agree completely.

Hopefully this will help cut down on voter fraud.

Good, last I checked everyone needs an i.d. anyway. The only people opposed to this are the cheats that cry out that poor and elderly folks may not have an i.d. and would be disenfranchesed, fuck'em. They just say that because it leaves the door wide open for massive voter fraud, which is the only way some folks can win.:jointsmile: Or at the very least they want to have that option open!:D

This won't change anything. It's not to hard to fake an ID. I also think this should not be enforced until the next time around. Indiana votes May 6, kind of a short notice for those without.