Thursday, May 1, 2008

It’s amazing how something as simple as presenting a photo ID in order to vote has to make its way up to the Supreme Court for an answer.

The state of Indiana passed such legislation requiring voters to produce a government-issued photo ID at the polls in order to cast a ballot in any election. This week, the Supreme Court upheld the state’s voter identification law.

The state didn’t want to accept private college IDs, employee ID cards or utility bills. What officials were looking for was a driver’s license—the closest thing available in the U.S. to a national ID card.

The law was immediately challenged by civil rights groups who called it unconstitutional and also claimed it was crafted to make it difficult for poor and minority persons to vote.

At present, six states in addition to Indiana—Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan and South Dakota—now require voters to provide photo identification before casting a ballot. Bills are pending in two dozen other states, although they are not likely to pass this year in more than a handful, due to short legislative sessions and Democratic opposition.

The Indiana law, adopted by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2005 without a single Democratic vote, is regarded as the strictest in the country. In most cases, the requirement can be met by a current driver’s license or a passport. The state’s motor vehicle agency provides a free photo ID card for people who do not drive, but obtaining it requires a “primary document” like an original birth certificate or a passport.

One of the basic arguments used is that there is a considerable burden for poor people who would be forced to pay fees for documents that would be used to obtain a legitimate ID.

Securing a birth certificate is not too difficult, nor overly expensive. The cost in New York City—provided that the birth took place within the five boroughs between 1910 and present—is $15. It can be done by fax, phone, website or in person at 125 Worth St. in Manhattan.

How this nominal fee can be construed as a “considerable burden” is hard to understand.

The fear by many of the civil rights groups is that this ruling will spiral down to all the states and they cringe at the idea of eventually having a national ID card come out of this ruling.

Nobody blinks an eye when government-issued documents must be shown when boarding a plane, applying for a job, opening a checking account, cashing a welfare or Social Security check.

So what makes the requirement unconstitutional at the polls?

The right to vote comes with a certain amount of responsibility—and should not be treated like a free sample of candy.