There was a time when my voter's registration card OR driver's license sufficed as ID in Louisiana but some years back, I had to start using a picture ID. However, those without a picture ID can sign an affidavit at the Registrar of Voters office and still present some form of ID when voting. I really have no problem with requiring a picture ID and it will prevent some of the voter fraud. But like you say, if someone wants to, they can get a fake one. Seems like an awful lot of trouble though just to vote illegally.

Does anyone personally know someone without a picture ID? Everyone I know has one, including my elderly and black friends.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"

I don't understand what you're saying. Everyone knows that blacks and old people can't get ID's...

Yea, really. If you watch 'Cops', even the most impoverished crack headed hooker can almost always furnish some sort of identification.

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"Anyone that needs what they want, and doesn’t want what they need
I want nothing to do with
And to do what I want
And to do what I please
Is first on my to-do list"
-Gnarls Barkley, "Going On" lyrics

I think the current decision will only open the doors to more litigation on the issue of ID requirements at voting polls.

Insofar as the DHS ID requirement, it is a collateral issue that the court was not presented, but I am sure that depending on the new string of litigations that will be coming, the DHS ID requirement will become an issue within the new litigation in some manners.

Where I think the issue will arise is where some states will pass laws requiring driver's licences as the main or only form of acceptable ID. Those kinds of laws will be more contentious than the Indiana case that was decided, given the Indiana law that was at issue provides for free voter IDs and also allows voters to submit provisional ballots at the polls which in turn will be counted once the voter validates his or her identification within several days after the polls close.

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James Hoban. Irish Architect. Member of the Royal Dublin Society. Hoban designed and built the White House and based it upon the top exterior and interior two floors of Leinster House, then known as Kildare House, which is now the current Irish Parliament building. He was also a supervisory architect of the US Capitol Building.

I have, and I have seen it when acting as Judge of Elections in my area. People in cities or just having moved from a city area often don't have driver's licences and/or passports. Many of them are poor and poorly educated, use mass transport, cannot afford cars and/or car insurance, have no need for a driver's licence because they do not need a car in the city, etc. Many poor people don't even have credit cards. There are also people who have suspended driver's licences. They may have credit cards or a work ID, etc, but not a government issued ID given the licence suspension and having never needed a passport. Most Americans do not have passports given they travel infrequently if at all outside the US. Only now may this number increase somewhat given regional travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean now requires a passport. Still, many Americans don't even travel to those places. Pennsylvania does offer a formal ID card from the Department of Transportation for those without driver's licences, but many people are unaware of that and/or cannot afford it, especially in the cases of poor people, old people, uneducated people, etc.

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James Hoban. Irish Architect. Member of the Royal Dublin Society. Hoban designed and built the White House and based it upon the top exterior and interior two floors of Leinster House, then known as Kildare House, which is now the current Irish Parliament building. He was also a supervisory architect of the US Capitol Building.

jees I used to love to get more than a few beers in me and watch a couple hours of cops...if that don't make you appreciative and feel better I don't know what will....

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We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile....

so , does this mean you feel the decision was not correct?

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We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile....

Maybe we should just offer a free photo registration card from now on. That would solve many of the problems to new voters that have no ID though it's still beyond me that people actually go through life without at least a state issued ID! How do they cash and write checks? The majority of the Social Security checks are now direct deposit and in order to have a bank account, one must have ID. Those that still get their checks in the mail still have to cash them and unless a family member handles their money, they need an ID. I don't know...guess I've lived with modern conveniences too long!

__________________
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"

LOL Every time that I work at the bar, the customers watch Cops or Amazing Videos on at least one of the t.v.'s!

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"

No, not this decision anyway.

It's no big secret to polls workers why the GOP backs these laws whilst the Dems don't--by far Dems don't have the IDs that these laws often require or proposed laws would require. Voters fraud isn't the real issue but a pretext to cover a cynical objective of jingling the table to knock out some Dem voters, especially states where urban Dem voters are key to winning the state (PA, MI, etc). In short, it's political gamesmanship.

That said, asking for ID to prevent fraud has an objective rational purpose.

Thus, I view it much like pretextual car stops where cops stop cars for actual vehicle code violations (even if extremely petty and wouldn't ordinarily motivate a cop to stop the car) so they can look for things like DUI or drugs of which they don't have reasonable suspicion to actually stop the car to search for them. Even though the motivation is dark, it's a legal way to pull it off.

Thus, I agree that the law should have been upheld--it has a reasonable objective apart from its real motive.

However, I agreed with it because the Indiana law also had provisions in it that allow people without ID to vote at the polls--they can get free IDs for voting or submit provisional ballots at the polls where they can simply verify their identities within several days following the election and their votes will then ben counted.

If I were on the SCOTUS, I would not validate any law that restricts IDs to those that cost fees or have barriers to obtaining. Constructively requiring someone to pay any kind of fee in order to vote would violate the Poll Tax Prohibition Amendment of the Constitution IMO and otherwise violate the right to vote for which, being a right, no fee should ever be required to exercise. Moreover, things like driver's licences have barriers such as suspensions and revocations for unrelated matters to voting (vehicle and crimes code violations, child support enforcement, medical impediments, possession of uninsured vehicles, etc). IDs can also be lost or revoked just prior to voting. Thus, a free and unhindered ID avenue plus the right to cast a provisional ballot at the poll followed by a reasonable amount of time to verify identity would be along the lines of what I'd personally accept as a SCOTUS justice. Such measures accomplish the goal of reducing fraud without allowing the illegitimate purpose and/or result of denying someone their right to vote.

__________________
James Hoban. Irish Architect. Member of the Royal Dublin Society. Hoban designed and built the White House and based it upon the top exterior and interior two floors of Leinster House, then known as Kildare House, which is now the current Irish Parliament building. He was also a supervisory architect of the US Capitol Building.

well I would think that this cuts both ways, if I understand you right just because dem voters are less liable to have an ID doesn't mean its okay no matter the reason, I would think. I for one am in favor of a national id. We crossed that road when we went to SS #’s etc. imho.
Besides , I think that’s kind of whacked, I mean, if "lower class folks" don't have one, I find that contrary to some of the stories I read and some of the opinons I have seen here at the forum, about the lower classes having to use those early pay day lending stores, cashing SSI or other gov. checks, foodstamps etc.....
In then end I think its prudent to demand a viable ID to vote.

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We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile....

As I said, I wouldn't find a voter ID law invalid under the setup Indiana has done because it does not result in a person having to pay a fee and/or face unrelated barriers to getting the required IDs, and it allows voting at the polls without IDs with a provisional ballot that will count so long as the person proves their identity shortly after the election day, which in turn covers those who lost, forgot or did not know about the ID requirement.

I think it's imperative to remember that these laws do not regulate a privilege or mere liberty interest but a fundamental right. Laws must be strictly construed so they do not act to deprive people of that right.

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James Hoban. Irish Architect. Member of the Royal Dublin Society. Hoban designed and built the White House and based it upon the top exterior and interior two floors of Leinster House, then known as Kildare House, which is now the current Irish Parliament building. He was also a supervisory architect of the US Capitol Building.

So you are attempting to show that requiring all voters to prove they are who they say they are is a defacto "poll tax"? If a person cannot afford a drivers license or a state ID, then they probably will not be voting anyway so you are essentially fighting a battle that needs not be fought. How many indigent people actually vote? I say screw em. It should be mandatory that all voters PROVE that they are who they say they are. A birth certificate, a passport, a voter ID card, a state issued Drivers license, a State issued ID card, are all acceptable to reasonable people. But if a few loony ACLU types want to get upset about this, then we should pass a federal law creating a federal voter ID card that is free to anyone who applies, in lieu of the above requirements. Then these ACLU types can shove their "Poll tax" where it doesn't shine.

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"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it." -- Barack Obama

In my little middle of nowhere village, where I sit on the city council, am known on a first name basis with the city Clerk and sign the paycheck for the police chief and I was asked for ID to vote.

The only issue I can see with this ruling in its practical application is accounting for someone who recently lost thier ID somehow. I dont think it unreasonable to ask for photo ID. But, if I lost my wallet over the weekend and the election is on Tuesday, well I think everyone can see a potential problem there.

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Abstinence Education at its finest:

Nope, not a problem at all. There are provisional ballots for that. Your vote is provisional until you come back a few days later with your ID. Problem solved.

__________________
"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it." -- Barack Obama