On April 28, by a vote of 6 to 3, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a facial challenge to Indiana's voter-photo identification law in the case of Crawford v. Marion County Election Board. At issue was whether Indiana's requirement that voters show government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot, with certain exemptions, violated the U.S. Constitution. The 2005 Indiana law requires that a voter present ID at the precinct on election day, with absentee voters and residents of state-licensed nursing homes exempted. The law also exempts anyone unable to afford documentation to obtain a photo ID (typically a birth certificate) and authorizes a provisional ballot for those lacking the ID. The voter who casts a provisional ballot then has 10 days to bring a photo ID to an elections official. The same procedure applies for those who claim a religious objection to being photographed.
