Judge Tosses Mo. Voter ID Law

A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the state’s voter identification law is unfair to the elderly, poor and women.

The law requires voters to present a state-issued photo identification, either a driver’s license or a non-driver identification card. While the ID cards are issued without charge, those seeking them are required to present a certified birth certificate — and to provide additional documents if they have changed their names — the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The photo ID burden on the voter may seen minor or inconsequential to the mainstream of our society for whom automobiles, driver licenses and even passports are a natural part of everyday life, said Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan. However, for the elderly, the poor, the undereducated or otherwise disadvantaged, the burden can be great if not insurmountable.

The state is expected to seek an expedited appeal before the Missouri Supreme Court, the newspaper said.