Raymond Lopez's tale is proof of the need for Indiana's controversial voter ID law.

Lopez, chairman of the East Chicago and Whiting Republican organization, told the Lake County election board last week that "busloads" of people from Illinois and downstate Indiana showed up May 6 at the polls in East Chicago and Whiting.

Republican poll workers told Lopez they turned away Illinois residents and downstate students hoping to vote in the extreme northwest corner of Indiana.

"It was quite a few," Lopez said. "They showed us Illinois driver's licenses. We asked them why they were here, and they said, 'We were told to vote here.' "

Indiana law requires voters to show a valid photo ID to ensure they are voting in the right location. Voters who fail to bring their photo ID can cast provisional ballots and then have 10 days to produce a photo ID so their ballot can be counted.

Lopez said some poll inspectors were so busy because of the heavy turnout that they declined to fill out provisional ballots.

"Some people weren't in the poll books, but the workers just let them vote anyway," Lopez said.

That complaint needs to be put in writing so it can be investigated. If it's true, those poll workers need to be dealt with appropriately.

Lake County has seen more than its share of voter fraud cases, but those typically deal with absentee ballots.

As the voter ID law in Indiana is under continued attack -- most recently from the League of Women Voters of Indiana, which filed a lawsuit Friday -- it is important to consider Lopez's allegations.

The potential of that scenario playing out in the future is one reason we need the voter ID law.

Protecting the integrity of elections is vital to maintain faith in the democratic process.