Supreme Court OKs Arizona voter ID rules

Posted on October 20, 2006

The Supreme Court jumped into the legal battle over voter identification laws Friday, ruling that Arizona may require voters to provide photo IDs when they cast their ballots next month.

The justices cautioned that they were not issuing a ruling on the constitutionality of Arizona’s law. “As we have noted, the facts in these cases are hotly contested,” the court said in an unsigned five-page order.

The ruling merely allows the Nov. 7 election to proceed with the photo ID law in place. Federal courts still will have to resolve a lawsuit contending that the law will disenfranchise numerous voters, particularly the elderly and minorities.

Courts in Georgia and Missouri have blocked similar laws.

Justice John Paul Stevens, in a brief concurring opinion, said the high court’s action makes it more likely that the constitutional issues “will be resolved correctly on the basis of historical facts rather than speculation.”
The law requires voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote and to show photo IDs or other documents establishing who they are at the polls. The law was meant to make sure illegal immigrants weren’t casting ballots.

Behind the push against this law was of course non other than the ACLU. I am sure they are disappointed with the ruling. How will illegals and dead people be able to vote now?

Big Lizards:

It’s time we reintroduced sanity to the electoral process. No Democratic politician has the guts to stand up and actually propose that non-citizens be allowed to vote; they want the courts to do it for them.

Not even legally resident aliens supposed to vote, let alone illegals; there is no coherent reason to refuse to check voter identification… other than a desire to circumvent the law and let non-citizens determine the results of American elections, to the advantage of the Democratic Party.

Others: Volokh
OTB
Blue Crab Boulevard
Election Law
Dan Riehl

» Filed Under ACLU, News, Supreme Court

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One Response to “Supreme Court OKs Arizona voter ID rules”

kerwin_brown on October 21st, 2006 6:20 am

I am curious what legal point those against the Arizona Voters law are using since the Poll tax amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not apply and the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 seems to support the Arizona legislation.