With a change in the state's voting policy, casting a ballot in Michigan will require more than just a pen - it'll require photo identification.

In a 5-2 decision July 18, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a 1996 law that required voters to present photo ID every time they voted. The vote was split along party lines, with the Republican majority favoring the law and the Democrats denouncing it.

It is a measure, some said, that will discourage voter turnout.

"There's no doubt it will depress participation," said Mark Kornbluh, an MSU professor of history and voter participation expert. "Michigan is one of the most restrictive states in regards to what we require for voting, joining states like Alabama."

While the law has been on the books for 11 years, it was never instituted because then-Attorney General Frank Kelley declared the law unconstitutional.

House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, along with Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton, pushed a resolution through the House to have the Supreme Court decide on the constitutionality of the voter photo ID law.

"We were asking the court to weigh in and see if they agreed with (Kelley's) opinion, and set the record straight once and for all," said Matt Resch, spokesman for DeRoche.

A law such as this will have an impact on the participation of younger, college-age voters, Kornbluh said.

"It's particularly true of college students," he said. "Most don't drive much and don't particularly have their licenses on them."

Rather than disenfranchise voters, Resch said the law would encourage voting by making elections clean, safe and protected from corruption.

"When it comes to something as important as voting in elections, there can be no potential for fraud or abuse," he said. "That disenfranchises someone else's vote."

Eric Partlo, a computer science senior, said while he could see how the new law could affect other student's voting behavior, it wouldn't affect his.

"It wouldn't discourage me, mostly because I wouldn't have to do anything more because I already have an ID," Partlo said. "For me, I definitely need a photo ID anywhere I go these days."

Resch echoed Partlo's comments.

"As college students, there's hardly anything you can do in life that doesn't require a photo ID," he said. "Even going to Jimmy John's and paying with your credit card, you need to show photo ID."

The law brings up other pressing questions, East Lansing City Clerk Sharon Reid said.

"There's somewhere between 350,000-400,000 people who don't have driver's licenses in Michigan," Reid said. "Are they going to provide ID without a fee? Is that going to place a burden on people? How easy will it be to get to an office to get this ID?"

These are issues to address in order ensure that requiring voters to have - or purchase - a photo ID is not a "poll tax," Reid said.

Michigan's Secretary of State charges $10 for a state ID and $25 for an original operator's license. In order to make sure the new law cannot be considered a financial obstacle, Reid said, the state would have to find a way to provide photo ID that is convenient to obtain and free of charge.

"They're going to have to address that, either through legislation or implementation," she said. "It's an issue they have to address by this requirement."

An issue, Resch said, that had already been addressed by the law.

"If someone goes into a polling place without a photo ID, they can sign an affidavit saying they are who they say they are," he said.

Either way the law is implemented, Kornbluh said, it still stands in the way of voter participation.

"States that are encouraging voter participation don't do this," Kornbluh said. "Other states only require a photo ID when people register by mail and did not provide ID at the time they registered - and only the first time. These states do not require a voter ID every time."

Ultimately, a law like this is unnecessary, as the there has been no reason in Michigan's history to implement it, Reid said.

"There's never been a case in Michigan where someone has voted under a false name, so why are we correcting a problem that doesn't exist?" she said.

Even if there hasn't been a case of voter fraud, Resch said, it's better to address the issue before it becomes a problem.

"It's not kind of thing you want to risk," he said. "Fix the problem before it happens, rather than wait for a massive fraud to affect an election."