Pennsylvania Judge Delays Voter ID Law
October 3, 2012
A Pennsylvania judge ruled yesterday that voters do not need valid photo ID’s to cast a ballot in the upcoming presidential election. The judge, Robert Simpson, did not overturn the law, but rather delayed its implementation on the grounds that the authorities had not done enough to ensure that potential voters had access to the new documents. The judge noted in his ruling that for the November 6 presidential election voters can be asked to produce the newly required photo ID, but those without one can still vote. Judge Simpson had upheld Pennsylvania’s photo ID law in August, but the state supreme court subsequently instructed him to hold further hearings on whether enough had been done to ensure “liberal access” to the picture ID cards.
In a historical photo, African Americans vote in Harlem in 1964. Opponents of voter ID laws in 2012, including civil rights organizations and the Democratic Party, feared that such laws may disenfranchise elderly and minority urban voters. (courtesy AP/Wide World)
Voter ID laws–generally backed by the Republican Party “to prevent electoral fraud”–have triggered a nation-wide debate over voting rights. Opponents of such laws, including civil rights organizations and the Democratic Party, maintain that voter fraud is rare and that such laws make it harder for people to vote. They argue that the elderly and urban minorities often depend on public transportation and, therefore, do not have driver’s licenses. Courts have upheld voter ID laws in Georgia, Indiana, and New Hampshire. They have been blocked in Texas and Wisconsin. South Carolina’s voter ID law is currently under court review. Historically, lower voter turnouts have benefited Republican candidates.
