Free Republic

A federal appeals court blocked an Arizona state law requiring voters to present identification at polling stations and proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an emergency motion by opponents of the law for an injunction to prevent the law's voter identification requirements from taking effect for the November 7 elections. Opponents of the Arizona law said it discriminated against minorities and the poor, who might not have funds to obtain the necessary proof of identification. “The law sets a burdensome requirement,” Victor Meiser, attorney for the plaintiffs. “To get a driver’s...

More Americans are living at a time when they need to prove who they are. Whether it's getting on a plane or getting a speeding ticket, a government-issued photo ID is required. Equally important is a need for states to require that would-be voters show such an ID before being allowed to vote. Last week, Georgia legislators passed a measure that reduces the number of acceptable forms of voter ID from 17 to six that are government-issued. They rightly excluded some previously acceptable non-picture forms of ID, such as a utility bill, that made it too easy to cheat. The...