Thirty-two states — a figure that has been steadily rising — now have some form of voter ID laws, based on a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The number of states with the strictest laws is rising as well: Voters in seven states will be required to show photo identification in order to cast their ballots this year. In 2012, only four states required it. A 2002 federal law set minimum requirements for federal elections, including identity verification for all new voters. The law leaves room for states to enact their own stricter ones. “There has been movement toward more voter ID laws, and toward stricter voter ID laws,” said Wendy Underhill, program director for elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Several of these laws have been challenged in court. In July, a federal appeals court found that the Texas voter ID law discriminated against blacks and Latinos and ordered the state to assist people who did not have one of the seven valid forms of identification. A North Carolina law, which was set to take effect this year, was struck down along with several other voting procedures.
But in 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s photo ID requirement. “Court challenges have gone in both directions,” Ms. Underhill said. “They haven’t all been either to undo voter ID or to support it.”
Most states request ID but will allow returning voters to cast ballots even if they do not have a required form of identification. Election officials do the work of confirming their identities. In Florida, for example, a voter without proper identification can cast a provisional ballot, and officials will verify the signatures with one on file.
But in nine states with so-called strict laws, voters must provide their ID shortly after Election Day for their ballots to be counted. Seven of those states require a photo ID, like an in-state driver’s license, a United States passport or a military ID, but the acceptable forms vary by state. The other two — Arizona and Ohio — accept certain documents without photos.
Full Article: How States Moved Toward Stricter Voter ID Laws – The New York Times.