434:
substantial burden on most voters' right to vote, or represent a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting. The severity of the somewhat heavier burden that may be placed on a limited number of persons—e.g., elderly persons born out-of-state, who may have difficulty obtaining a birth certificate—is mitigated by the fact that eligible voters without photo identification may cast provisional ballots that will be counted if they execute the required affidavit at the circuit court clerk's office. Even assuming that the burden may not be justified as to a few voters, that conclusion is by no means sufficient to establish petitioners' right to the relief they seek.
31:
554:
428:
Justice
Stevens upheld the constitutionality of the photo ID requirement, finding it closely related to Indiana's legitimate state interest in preventing voter fraud, modernizing elections, and safeguarding voter confidence. Justice Stevens, in the leading opinion, stated that the burdens placed on
433:
The relevant burdens here are those imposed on eligible voters who lack photo identification cards that comply with SEA 483. Because
Indiana's cards are free, the inconvenience of going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, gathering required documents, and posing for a photograph does not qualify as a
323:
A 2005 Indiana law required all voters casting a ballot in person to present a United States or
Indiana photo ID. Under the Indiana law, voters who do not have a photo ID may cast a provisional ballot. To have their votes counted, they must visit a designated government office within ten days and
509:
After the
Supreme Court affirmed Indiana's law, states have adopted voter identification laws at an increasing rate. It also spurred research focused on voter ID laws and voter advocacy. Some research is centered on the timing of states' adoption of voter ID laws, while other research is on the
455:, concurred in the judgment only. Justice Scalia states in his concurring opinion that the Supreme Court should defer to state and local legislators and that the Supreme Court should not get involved in local election law cases, which would do nothing but encourage more litigation:
459:
It is for state legislatures to weigh the costs and benefits of possible changes to their election codes, and their judgment must prevail unless it imposes a severe and unjustified overall burden upon the right to vote, or is intended to disadvantage a particular
489:
also filed a dissenting opinion arguing that
Indiana's law was unconstitutional. While he spoke approvingly of some voter ID laws, he found that Indiana's procedures for acquiring an ID were too burdensome and costly for some low income or elderly voters.
327:
At trial, the plaintiffs were unable to produce any witnesses who claimed they were unable to meet the law's requirements. The defendants were likewise unable to present any evidence that the corruption purportedly motivating the law actually existed.
481:
unconstitutional. Souter argued that
Indiana had the burden of producing actual evidence of the existence of fraud, as opposed to relying on abstract harms, before imposing "an unreasonable and irrelevant burden on voters who are poor and old."
560:
951:
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Following the ruling critics suggested the court's conservative majority has "become increasingly hostile to voters" by siding with
Indiana's voter identification laws which tend to "
344:
285:
863:
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82:
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voters are limited to a small percentage of the population and were offset by the state's interest in reducing fraud. Stevens wrote in the leading opinion:
405:
On April 28, 2008, the
Supreme Court delivered judgment in favor of Marion County, affirming the court below by a 6–3 vote. The Court failed to produce a
946:
956:
971:
359:
dissented. The circuit court was deeply divided, with the dissent characterizing the law as a thinly-veiled attempt to disenfranchise low-income
396:
642:"William Crawford, et al., Plaintiffs-appellants, v. Marion County Election Board, et al., Defendants-appellees, 472 F.3d 949 (7th Cir. 2007)"
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large numbers of people without driver's licenses, especially poor and minority voters". Senator
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appeared for the challengers, the
Indiana Solicitor General appeared for the county, and
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790:"Opinion | A Supreme Court Reversal: Abandoning the Rights of Voters"
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bring a photo ID or sign a statement saying they cannot afford one.
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One hour of oral arguments were heard on
January 9, 2008, in which
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A statute requiring voters to show a picture ID is constitutional.
135:
30:
730:"Voter Identification Laws and Turnout in the United States"
477:, filed a dissenting opinion, which would have declared the
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from 1972 to 2012. The defendant was the election board of
561:
public domain material from this U.S government document
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criticized the ruling for "eroding individual rights".
952:
United States Supreme Court cases of the Roberts Court
345:
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
628:
Recent Case: Seventh Circuit Upholds Voter ID Statute
575:"Voter-ID Law Draws Political Clash at Supreme Court"
520:
List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 553
343:. In January 2007, that judgment was affirmed by the
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698:"In a 6-to-3 Vote, Justices Uphold a Voter ID Law"
774:SEA 483 is the Indiana election law at issue in
54:William Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
457:
431:
402:appeared as a friend in support of the county.
259:Scalia (in judgment), joined by Thomas, Alito
8:
762:The Supreme Court, 2007 Term — Leading Cases
824:"Franken: 'An Incredible Honor to Be Here'"
667:"Crawford v. Marion County Election Board"
383:, the state capital, is in Marion County.
20:
745:
723:
721:
860:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
610:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
538:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
296:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
132:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
24:Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
920:Supreme Court (slip opinion) (archived)
530:
339:in favor of Indiana Secretary of State
288:; Indiana Public Law 109-2005 (SEA 483)
962:Federal court cases involving Indiana
747:10.1146/annurev-polisci-051215-022822
367:, who was a Democratic member of the
303:case in which the Court held that an
18:2008 United States Supreme Court case
7:
822:Bendavid, Naftali (July 13, 2009).
331:In April 2006, U.S. District Judge
309:provide photographic identification
251:Stevens, joined by Roberts, Kennedy
734:Annual Review of Political Science
36:Supreme Court of the United States
14:
947:United States Supreme Court cases
870:181 (2008) is available from:
957:United States elections case law
788:Cohen, Adam (January 15, 2008).
631:, 120 Harv. L. Rev. 1980 (2007).
552:
369:Indiana House of Representatives
29:
765:, 122 Harv. L. Rev. 355 (2008).
592:Ind. Democratic Party v. Rokita
363:voters. The lead plaintiff was
117:Ind. Democratic Party v. Rokita
972:2008 in United States case law
1:
299:, 553 U.S. 181 (2008), was a
597:458 F. Supp. 2d 775
510:partisanship of such laws.
439:Concurrence in the judgment
425:the judgment of the Court.
301:United States Supreme Court
988:
911:Oyez (oral argument audio)
728:Highton, Benjamin (2017).
599: (S.D. Ind. 2006).
559:This article incorporates
413:, joined by Chief Justice
313:United States Constitution
267:Souter, joined by Ginsburg
617: (7th Cir. 2007).
284:
176:
166:
28:
307:law requiring voters to
967:Marion County, Indiana
462:
436:
397:U.S. Solicitor General
377:Marion County, Indiana
286:U.S. Const. amend. XIV
45:Decided April 28, 2008
43:Argued January 9, 2008
88:128 S. Ct. 1610; 170
615:472 F.3d 949
473:, joined by Justice
447:, joined by Justice
351:was joined by Judge
311:did not violate the
828:Wall Street Journal
475:Ruth Bader Ginsburg
223:Ruth Bader Ginsburg
794:The New York Times
703:The New York Times
696:(April 29, 2008).
333:Sarah Evans Barker
187:Associate Justices
694:Greenhouse, Linda
581:, January 8, 2008
411:John Paul Stevens
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407:majority opinion
365:William Crawford
361:Democratic Party
357:Terence T. Evans
337:summary judgment
172:Court membership
157:1192 (2007).
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409:, with Justice
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191:John P. Stevens
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839:. Retrieved
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706:. p. A1
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676:. Retrieved
672:Oyez Project
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573:Stohr, Greg.
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471:David Souter
468:
458:
449:Samuel Alito
442:
432:
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417:and Justice
415:John Roberts
404:
400:Paul Clement
390:
381:Indianapolis
373:Indianapolis
330:
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280:Laws applied
235:Samuel Alito
230:
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211:David Souter
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183:John Roberts
131:
116:
108:Case history
81:
53:
15:
740:: 149–167.
710:October 25,
678:October 25,
341:Todd Rokita
256:Concurrence
149:. granted,
121:F. Supp. 2d
941:Categories
932:SCOTUSblog
646:Justia Law
504:Al Franken
423:announcing
319:Background
60:Docket no.
928:Case page
836:0099-9660
802:0362-4331
651:March 11,
579:Bloomberg
248:Plurality
128:S.D. Ind.
90:L. Ed. 2d
70:Citations
858:Text of
841:July 27,
807:July 27,
776:Crawford
514:See also
485:Justice
469:Justice
443:Justice
335:granted
143:7th Cir.
98:Argument
875:Cornell
465:Dissent
305:Indiana
272:Dissent
264:Dissent
162:Holding
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130:2006);
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494:Impact
460:class.
275:Breyer
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119:, 458
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526:Notes
371:from
153:
113:Prior
64:07-21
868:U.S.
843:2022
832:ISSN
809:2022
798:ISSN
712:2017
680:2017
653:2019
546:U.S.
451:and
155:U.S.
147:cert
136:F.3d
83:more
75:U.S.
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