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Tuesday, May 3, 2005

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  Critics say requiring a photo ID at the polls unfairly affects the poor, minorities, people with disabilities and the elderly, many of whom do not have driver's licenses and might struggle to obtain a photo ID.

Dan Parker, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said there have been no recorded instances of voter fraud at the polls that could be prevented by the bill.

Supporters say the law is needed to guard against voter fraud. The law offers free photo ID cards for those who cannot afford a driver's license and makes exemptions for some people in nursing homes and state institutions.

Secretary of State Todd Rokita, the state's top election official and a Republican, has backed the law and was named in the Democrats' lawsuit as a defendant.

"The fact that the state and local Democratic parties are behind this lawsuit clearly indicates the partisan nature of this small group of opponents to this law, which is aimed at providing Hoosiers the most secure and fair elections possible," Rokita said in a statement Monday.

The Indiana Civil Liberties Union has also filed a lawsuit to block the law.

At least 19 states ask voters for identification, but only five ask for photo ID, as of March, according the National Conference of State Legislatures. Since then, three states have tried changing their laws.

Georgia's new law requiring photo IDs is awaiting the approval of the U.S. Department of Justice. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle on Friday vetoed photo ID legislation that lawmakers passed.

A New Mexico law taking effect in July requires identification, but not specifically with a photo.

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