Voter ID law upheld

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court opened the door Monday to state laws that require voters to show a photo identification before casting a ballot on election day. The ruling is a clear victory for Republicans, who have pushed for such laws to combat election fraud, and comes over the objections of Democrats, who say the requirements make it too hard for some people to vote.

The effect on the 2008 presidential election may be limited because strict voter ID laws are in effect in few states -- Indiana, Arizona, Georgia and Florida among them. Some states have more lenient rules, and half -- like California -- have no ID requirement on election day.

The 6-3 decision upheld Indiana's voter ID law, the nation's strictest, against a challenge from those who predicted it would deter thousands of poor, disabled and elderly people from voting. But the plaintiffs failed to show that even a single voter had been blocked from exercising his or her rights in Indiana because of the 2005 law. The lapse probably doomed the legal challenge.

Justice John Paul Stevens, speaking for the court, said voter fraud was not unheard of in the nation's history. An election day requirement that voters confirm their identity is "amply justified by the valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process," he said.

Most states with voter ID laws make it easier for people to comply by allowing them to furnish alternative forms of identification -- such as a Social Security card, a utility bill or a student ID.

But voting rights advocates say the existence of such laws could cause many eligible voters to stay home if they do not have an up-to-date driver's license, a passport or another government-issued ID card.

Stevens said that number appeared to be quite small because an estimated 99% of Indiana's population had the necessary ID cards, according to the judge who tried the case.

In dissent, Justice David H. Souter said that meant as many as 43,000 Indiana residents lacked the required ID cards. If they want to vote, they must go to the county seat with a birth certificate.

"A significant number of state residents will be discouraged or disabled from voting," Souter said.

Since the presidential election in 2000 resulted in a deadlock in Florida, both parties have fought hard -- in state legislatures and in the courts -- over election rules.