All eyes are on New Hampshire, but a case on its way to the Supreme Court next week could have much more of an impact on the 2008 elections. On January 9th, the Court will hear oral statements challenging an Indiana law requiring voters to show ID at the polls. Those opposed to the law say it creates an unconstitutional burden on voters, while those in favor say it’s a reasonable request. Does Indiana’s right to conduct fair elections trump individual voter rights?

Indiana can’t provide evidence of any instance where a voter was denied their right to cast their ballot because of the ID requirement, but it also can’t cite any instance of voter fraud that would have been prevented by having the law in place. A federal district court and the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit decided in Indiana’s favor. Voter ID laws in other states have also been challenged in the courts, and the outcome of the Supreme Court decision will apply to other legal challenges to voter ID requirements across the country.

Since the highly contested 2000 elections, voting regulations have become highly partisan, with Republicans tending to favor the new voter ID laws, and Democrats claiming that they would prevent lower-income and mostly Democratic voters from participating in elections.