A Guest Viewpoint

On the heels of the Supreme Court's recent decision upholding Indiana's restrictive voter ID law, lawmakers in three states –- Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma –- have wisely rejected similar voter ID legislation. But don't think this is the last word. 

Let's be clear. This is not about election reform. This is a partisan fight about access to the ballot box –- who gets in, and who does not –- and the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of Americans are at stake. 

On the surface, a voter ID law doesn't sound like a big deal to those of us who have a driver's license or a passport. Look deeper, and it's clear that voter ID laws pose a significant barrier to the ballot box for all kinds of people –- and that discouraging those people from voting gives a clear partisan advantage to Republicans. 

Who are the people who might find it difficult to comply with voter ID laws? Folks who don't drive or travel abroad, or who have lost their birth certificates. Senior citizens who haven't had a current driver's license in years, or disabled voters. Victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, who lose all their personal papers. Students who drive in one state, but vote in another. Low-income workers who can't afford the costs of replacing lost documents. 

What do all these people have in common? Senior citizens, the disabled, students and low-income workers all tend to vote for Democrats. And that makes voter ID legislation very attractive to Republican officeholders in state after state –- just look at who is introducing the bills. 

Advocates of voter ID bills would have you believe that they're fighting fraud. Nonsense. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in this country. In fact, even with the record-shattering voter turnout in the presidential primaries all across the nation this year, supporters of voter ID cannot point to any significant instances of voter impersonation fraud at the polls. 

Dead people are not voting. Undocumented immigrants are not voting. But innocent, eligible voters are being caught up in the mess. During the primary election last month in Indiana, 12 nuns were turned away from the polls because they didn't have photo ID. Something tells me they weren't trying to pull a fast one. Simply put, voter ID legislation is partisan politics at its worst –- piling up barriers for people who have every right to vote, in order to gain political advantage. It's wrong.  

That's why state senators in Missouri held off a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to require voters to present a government ID to vote, and a birth certificate, Social Security card, or passport in order to register to vote.  

In neighboring Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wisely vetoed voter ID legislation as too burdensome. 

And in Oklahoma, as a photo ID bill was defeated on a straight party line vote in the state Senate.  

We applaud the efforts of officials on the state level who have quashed voter ID legislation, but this isn't the end of the story. Thanks to the Supreme Court decision, I believe this legislation will be introduced again and again across the country. 

We'll oppose it wherever and whenever it comes up.  

We don't need laws that discourage citizens from voting, requiring them to pay fees to reproduce lost documents. This is the kind of unnecessary red tape that makes people throw up their hands and give up on the whole process. 

We should be passing laws that make it easier for citizens to vote, not harder. We should be tearing down barriers to the ballot box, and encouraging people with voter-friendly initiatives like same-day registration and the option of voting by mail. This country works best when more people vote. That's the American Way.  

Tanya Clay House is director of Public Policy, People For the American Way. People For the American Way was established to meet the challenges of discord and fragmentation with an affirmation of "the American Way." By this, we mean pluralism; individuality; freedom of thought, expression and religion; a sense of community; and tolerance and compassion for others. www.pfaw.org