Indiana's primary turnout high, despite photo ID law
Many feared Indiana's photo ID law — the strictest in the country — would depress turnout. The Republican-led effort was designed to combat ballot fraud, but critics said it disproportionately affected minorities and elderly voters. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the law did not violate the Constitution.
A group of voting rights advocates that established a hot line reported receiving several calls from would-be voters who were turned away at precincts because they lacked state or federal identification bearing a photograph.
One newly married woman said she was told she couldn't vote because her driver's license name didn't match the one on her voter registration record, said Myrna Perez of the Brennan Center Justice at New York University's law school, coordinator of the hot line. Another woman said she was turned away from casting her first-ever ballot because she had only a college-issued ID card and an out-of-state driver's license, Perez said.
"These laws are confusing. People don't know how they're supposed to be applied," she said.
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Associated Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind., and Ryan Lenz in Evansville, Ind., contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
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Indiana's primary turnout high, despite photo ID law
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View All Comments »rachel8 at 05/09/2008 1:11:36 PM
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Spoken as someone that has not been locked out of mainstream society, been poor with little opportunity, had your rights infringed on by the government. Your overwhelm me with your compassion and empathy.
merry1951 at 05/09/2008 12:10:31 PM
Comment:
Personally, I think it should be a national law, not just Indiana. If they announced it now, there would be NO EXCUSE for anyone living in America not to have photo ID. It is 6 months until November, if someone can't get thier photo taken in six months, there is a problem somewhere. Call senior services and arrange for transport, or have a traveling notary issue ID cards. If you can't prove who you are, and that you are entitled to vote, then you shouldn't have the privlege. If a person doesn't care enough about voting to get proper ID then they don't care enough to vote.