Many states -- largely nudged by Republican legislatures -- have passed Voter ID laws. The central requirement is that the voters should present a valid ID -- generally a photo ID -- at the time of voting. The arguments in favor of Voter ID laws are that they prevent voter fraud, promote electoral “integrity” and increase voter turnout.
The US Supreme Court in its recent – October 2014 – decision blocked a Wisconsin statute requiring voters to show a photo ID to cast a ballot. The Court’s decision was based largely on “proximity of the upcoming general election,” and the need to avoid large-scale chaos and confusion.
Similar laws have been aggressively pushed in many states. For example, in Texas, such a law was very recently struck down by a federal Judge. Federal District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos found that the law violated both the Equal Protection Clause and the Voting Rights Act, and that by forcing registered voters to track down and pay for qualifying documents, it functioned as an “unconstitutional poll tax.” Texas has appealed. Eventually, the matter will come to the US Supreme Court.
The battle for Voter ID laws will go on for some time before a definitive ruling emerges from the US Supreme Court.
Please refer to other articles by Gurumurthy Kalyanaram Lawsuit and policies on his website: www.gurumurthykalyanaram.com