Controversial Indiana Supreme Court Ruling Questions Voter Identification Standards

The Indiana Supreme Court upheld an Indiana state law that requires all voters must provide valid photo I.D. in order to vote in the upcoming Indiana Democratic Primaries. The issue brings many questions into play about the standards of preventing voter fraud, as well as how prevalent voter fraud really is. Many democrats, such an New York Senator Chuck Schumer, believe the law is unfair, especially to poor, minority voters who often do not have a driver's license or another form of proper photo identification. Many of these affected voters are democrats. The reverse side of the argument believes it is imperative to have tough standards to ensure fair elections, without the risk of voters being allowed to cast multiple ballots. Personally, I believe it is important to make sure no one can vote twice or any way attempt to defraud the system of democracy that our country is built upon. However, this should not be done at the cost of alienating poor voters who have never had a driver's license, yet still care to vote for the candidate of their choice, without the hassle of being turned down at the voting polls. This is an issue that is bigger than just the state of Indiana. The issue of removing the risk of voter fraud, while at the same time not discouraging potential low income voters should be a national issue that can be agreed upon by everyone. Future elections should allow every eligible citizen to vote, without imposing undue burdens on them to prove their identity. National Voter I.D. cards provided free to everyone is a solution, however it is not quite that simple, especially considering the potential costs of a system of that nature and the large amount debt our government is currently in. What is clear, however, is that something must be done. At the very least it means bringing this issue into the national spotlight. No one wants a repeat of the horrendous debacles in Florida and Ohio that helped cement the national disaster that is George W. Bush's presidency.