JURIST - Paper Chase: Federal judge upholds Indiana voter photo ID law

[JURIST] US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker [official profile] of the Southern District of Indiana issued an opinion [PDF text] Friday upholding a 2005 law [Public Law 109-2005, PDF text] enacted by the Indiana General Assembly [official website] that requires most voters to present a valid, government-issued photo identification card when they head to the polls. The Indiana Democratic Party [official website] led the constitutional challenge to the law [complaint, PDF], claiming it would disproportionately disadvantage those voters who many have trouble obtaining the proper identification, including the poor, elderly, minorities, and individuals who are handicapped. Challengers of the law will likely appeal Friday's ruling.

Five other states currently require photo ID to vote in elections and lawmakers in Georgia may soon also use such a requirement. Last month, civil rights, religious and community groups asked [JURIST report] the US Department of Justice [official website] to block a Georgia law that would require voters there to show photo identification before casting ballots. A previous version of the Georgia law was blocked by a federal judge [JURIST report] last year, but the revised version offers free photo IDs to voters who need them. AP has more.

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