Voter Identification
Last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling validating an Indiana voter ID law has Missouri and Kansas legislators talking about again enacting such laws.

The Missouri voter ID law was struck down by the state Supreme Court before last November's election. A Kansas voter ID law was vetoed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. At least 25 states require some form of voter identification.

Critics of the decision are saying that requiring identification could deny voting rights to minorities and the poor. Such concerns can and should be balanced against protecting the integrity of the election process. For example, the Indiana law authorizes free photo IDs for people without driver's licenses.

The timing of our legislative sessions will make it difficult for Missouri and Kansas to enact voter ID laws before the next election. But voters should be asked to prove their identity. It's no more than they must do before boarding an airplane or renting a movie.