Posted By James Besser
Picture Imperfect in Indiana / James Besser in Washington
Some political issues are like heartburn; they just keep coming back.
This week the American Jewish Committee filed a Supreme Court brief dealing with one of them: a law requiring photo IDs in order to vote.
In this case, the controversy involves an Indiana law, but the AJC and other Jewish “defense agencies” have long opposed any photo ID requirement because of the potential impact on certain populations of voters.
“The Indiana law places an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote by unfairly discriminating against particular groups such as the elderly, the poor, the handicapped, students and minorities, who are less likely to possess government issued photo ID,” said Jeff Sinensky, the group’s general counsel.
The Indiana statute, according to the brief, imposes “the most restrictive voter ID provisions in the nation. Millions of otherwise eligible voters, particularly in certain segments of the electorate, fail to possess a government-issued photo ID.
Twenty four states now require some form of identification to vote. The Supreme Court will take up the issue in the current term; a decision could affect numerous other state statutes.