Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Put on Hold
A Pennsylvania judge ordered that the voter ID law will not be in effect for the upcoming presidential election, as of Oct. 2.
A Pennsylvania judge ordered that the voter ID law will not be in effect for the upcoming presidential election, as of Oct. 2.
Commonwealth Court Judge, Robert E. Simpson Jr., granted preliminary injunction Tuesday morning, prohibiting the enforcement of the voter photo ID law through the Nov. 2 election. While voters could still be asked for identification, they cannot be turned away, or asked to cast a provisional ballot in order to vote.
The new voting law, which was enacted in March, then upheld by Simpson in August, went on to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where it divided the justices.
It was then passed down to the Commonwealth Court, where Simpson was asked to file an additional opinion as to if the alternative ID programs, set up by the Department of Transportation and officials, provide “liberal access” to ID cards, as the legislature intended.
In the two week period Simpson was given to access the law, he found that there was nothing wrong with asking voters for identification. However, he found fault in the provision allowing voters to cast a provisional ballot if they do not present a valid photo ID. This would give voters only six days after casting their ballot to obtain an ID.
In such cases, Simpson said, “An otherwise qualified elector who does not provide proof of identification may cast a ballot that shall be counted without the necessity of casting a provisional ballot.”
Currently, the law is pending review in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and many commentators believe an appeal may be possible
This law is one of 11 similar voting laws currently in place across the country.
