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Voters scramble to get photo ID in time for Election Day

Dan Spehler

6:00 PM EDT, November 1, 2012

Indianapolis

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Indiana voters without a government-issued photo ID are scrambling to get one in time for Election Day in order to comply with the state's voter ID law.

The law requires voters to present a driver's license, state-issued photo ID, passport or military ID before voting.

Latrice Warren showed up at the BMV on Madison Avenue to get a new ID Thursday afternoon. Warren said her purse was recently stolen, leaving her without the proper identification.

"It's kind of like a big hassle to do what you got to do to register to vote and get your ID and everything," Warren said.

"It catches more people than you might think," said Marion County Clerk Beth White. "I hate turning people away. It's a very discouraging thing, but the best thing we can do is get the word out."

The BMV is helping too, extending their hours as they typically do the day before (8 a.m.-8:30 p.m.), and the day of the election (6 a.m.-6 p.m.).

"I think it’s such common knowledge now that people tend to take care of these matters," said BMV spokesperson Dennis Rosebrough. "(But) there are some people as the election approaches that will do that, so we'll see a slight uptick in business."

Still, Rosebrough said the BMV hasn't issued nearly as many IDs as it did before the last presidential election in 2008, though the number of ID's issued is up from last year.

If you don't bring an ID to the polls, you will have to fill out a provisional ballot, and then go get a photo ID to bring back to the county clerk's office within ten days of the election.

"We do encourage people when they fill out that provisional ballot that they come back and show us that ID," White said. "We really hope they do, because we want their vote to count."