INDIANAPOLIS – A move to make Indiana driver's licenses and IDs more secure will have an effect on more than driving: It delays a legislative shift toward online renewals and complicates Indiana's strict voter ID law.

Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Andy Miller announced SecureID last week as a program to combat identity theft and comply with federal regulations passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

All Hoosiers renewing, amending or applying for a new driver's license or ID card after Jan. 1 will have to take a number of documents to the BMV for security purposes, and their new driver's licenses or ID cards will be sent to them by mail within 10 business days.

Some of the most common documents Hoosiers will need include birth certificates or passports to verify identity and lawful status, Social Security cards or W-2 forms to prove Social Security numbers and bank statements or utility bills to verify addresses.

Essentially these requirements have already been on the books for those getting IDs or driver's licenses but now will affect all Hoosiers renewing or amending their licenses.

The Indiana Democratic Party is especially concerned that the new documentation requirements provide another voting barrier for Hoosiers.

Indiana voters must show state or federally issued photo IDs to vote - one of the strictest laws in the nation.

Thomas Cook, spokesman for Indiana Democrats, said people could have had a driver's license for 30 years but not be able to vote if they have trouble sending away for and paying for a birth certificate.

"They refuse to talk about the possibility that this could keep some people from voting," he said. "They are adding layers that will affect people. It's going to be a logistical nightmare."

The AARP expressed concern about the identity verification requirements, saying the new regulations would disproportionately affect older, poorer and minority Hoosiers.

In the past, the BMV was required to be open on the day of an election to provide IDs and licenses needed to vote. But now the permanent cards won't be available until they are mailed later.

The Republican and Democratic co-directors of the Indiana Election Division said in a memo that the interim paper document the BMV will give Hoosiers will suffice as ID for voting purposes.

Miller said "cheat sheets" will be provided to election workers to educate them about the changes.

He does concede, though, that the new program will slow down the effect of a law passed this year by legislators allowing for online driver's license renewals.

While the BMV will pass rules to allow for online renewal, the practical effect is that Hoosiers won't be able to use the option for several years because their next renewal will require a trip to the BMV with the necessary documents in tow.

"We talked about that during the legislative session," Miller said. "But once folks are documented, it's an option for the future."

nkelly@jg.net