Indiana's Primary First Major Test Of State's Controversial Voter Photo ID Law

Bloomington, IN (AHN) - Indiana's May 6 Democratic presidential primary will be the first major test of the state's new controversial voter ID law that critics charge disproportionally affects registered voters who are minorities, poor, elderly or very young.

An associate professor of law and dean's fellow at the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis whose scholarship focuses on the law of democracy, particularly the Voting Rights Act, made some observations about what he expects to discover from the upcoming primary.

The large turnout expected for the primary will provide a good set of circumstances to evaluate the law's impact on voters, Indiana University election law expert Michael J. Pitts said in a statement released by Newswise.

"With Barak Obama's great support among African Americans and college students, we will have a better idea about how Indiana's voter identification law impacts elections," Pitts said.

Pitts said elections rarely are trouble free, he cited potential problems that could occur with voting machines as one example.

But along with seeing how specific groups are affected by the new voter ID law, Pitts will also be watching to see if the reduction in the number of precincts in Marion County (where Indianapolis is located) has an impact on this election.

Indiana's new voter ID law was passed by Indiana's legislature in 2005.

The new law requires voters to present a photo ID issued by the state or federal government, with an expiration date and the name on the ID must be similar to the name on voter registration records.

Students are affected because while a student ID from an Indiana state school that meets certain criteria can be used, a student ID from a private school can't be.

The new requirement for a photo ID in order to vote presents problems for students that don't have a driver's license, for example, which can also affect the elderly or the poor and since a larger percentage of minorities are poor, the restrictions disproportionally affect minorities as well.

In the meantime, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision soon as to whether Indiana's new law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court is expected to make its decision by the end of June, too late to affect the primary.