Who needs a fake ID?

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law that like Georgia's requires voters to show photo IDs to cast ballots.

Georgia's Republican leaders saw that as a hopeful sign Georgia's law would hold up in the highest court, too. Alabama Republicans similarly were enthused, and now want to pass a photo ID law there, where some Democrats are opposed.

Democrats say these photo ID laws are aimed at the poor, elderly and predominantly black voters who tend to lack such identification, and tend to vote for Democrats.

Republicans say such laws prevent voter fraud -- though anyone committing voter fraud would be a fool not to do it the easy way, with an absentee ballot. So far the law's been used here in two elections, and it sure has cut down on fraud, hasn't it?

Those teenagers who get fake IDs just to vote, you don't see them at the polls anymore. Too bad, too: They'd get away with it. They have photo IDs. You have to show one now, if you vote in person. But if you vote absentee by mail, all you have to do is get a ballot mailed to you, fill it out, sign it and send it back -- no ID required.

If for the first time you register by mail to vote, you're supposed to mail in a photocopied ID with your registration form. And if you've ever created a fake ID on a copy machine, you know how hard that can be.

But if you don't enclose a copied ID, that's OK, too: Election workers will just make sure you have an ID when you show up to vote. On the voter rolls beside your name will be "IDR," for "Identification Required." Identification's required anyway, of course, because Georgia law says you need a photo ID.

But a federal law that trumps state law says if you just registered for the first time by mail, you can use up to 10 forms of ID, including four without photos -- a utility bill, a bank statement, a government check or another government document showing your name and current address.

If you show up with no identification at all, you can file a provisional ballot. Then you have two days to show election workers some ID. And if it's too much trouble to go back and hand them that in person, don't worry: You can fax it. If you've ever altered a document before you faxed it, then you know how hard it would be to fake that ID.

If you're thinking there must be another security measure in place, you're right. There is: Signature comparison. For mail-in absentee ballots, election workers compare signatures to ensure the person who signed the ballot is the same person who signed the registration form.

Soon workers here won't be doing that with only their naked eyes. They'll use computers. And you know what the computers will do? They'll magnify the signatures for workers to eye.

So if you want to commit voter fraud, don't think you can go out like some teenager and get a fake ID that convinces poll workers you're 21. Or 18. You're obviously old enough to know the way to file a fraudulent ballot is the same way it has always been: Absentee, by mail.