But in Alabama, where a photo ID law won’t go into effect until
2014, voters without a photo ID still have two years to get one
— and the state has yet to design a voter-only ID for voters who
don’t have a driver’s license, or a system for distributing
those IDs. “There’s time to get that in place,” said state Rep.
Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, the sponsor of Alabama’s voter ID
bill. In 2011, Alabama joined a string of other states in
passing a bill that would require people to present photo
identification, such as a driver’s license, at the polls. In
swing states such as Pennsylvania, those laws face heated court
battles in the run-up to the presidential election. With two
years left until it’s implemented, Alabama’s law hasn’t faced
quite as much opposition. Proponents of the laws say they’re
needed to prevent voter fraud. Opponents say voter fraud is very
rare in America, while the number of people who could be
disenfranchised by the photo ID requirement is much greater —
and that black voters are less likely