BREAKING NEWS: PA Judge Blocks Voter ID Requirement

[Jerz-2]

Judge halts Pa.'s tough new voter ID requirement

By MARC LEVY, Associated Press – 8 minutes ago

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A judge postponed Pennsylvania's controversial voter identification requirement on Tuesday, ordering the state not to enforce it in this year's presidential election but allowing it to go into full effect next year.

The decision by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson on the law requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID could be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

However, Simpson based his decision on guidelines given to him days ago by the high court justices, and it could easily be the final word on the law just five weeks before the Nov. 6 election.

One lawyer for the plaintiffs said it appeared to be a "win."

His ruling came after listening to two days of testimony about the state's eleventh-hour efforts to make it easier to get a valid photo ID. He also heard about long lines and ill-informed clerks at driver's license centers and identification requirements that made it hard for some registered voters to get a state-issued photo ID.

The 6-month-old law — now among the nation's toughest — has sparked a divisive debate over voting rights and become a high-profile political issue in the contest between President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, for Pennsylvania's prized 20 electoral votes.

Pennsylvania, traditionally considered one of the most valuable a presidential swing states, is showing a persistent lead for President Barack Obama in independent polls. As a result, the state has been virtually empty of presidential TV ads and off the candidates' beaten paths to more contested states in recent weeks.

Pollsters say an identification requirement could mean that fewer people end up voting and, in the past, lower turnouts have benefited Republicans in Pennsylvania. But Democrats have used their opposition to the law as a rallying cry, turning it into a valuable tool to motivate volunteers and campaign contributions while other opponents of the law, including labor unions, good government groups, the NAACP, AARP and the League of Women Voters, hold voter education drives and protest rallies.

This is a MAJOR win...and a good first step.

 

[skeetsinternal]

Good shyt. Its 2012 tho

 

[Yinny]

I'm glad this doesn't look like it's turning out to be much of an issue, even in conservative states. *knocks on wood*

thanks for DMV being so fukked up

 

[eastside313]

So how they suppose to know it's u voting then?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

This makes me happy.

Also, DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER!!

 

[Tom]

I registered in 2004 and didn't vote in the 2008 election cause I had a cold and said fuk that shyt


do I have to re-register again in order to vote?

 

[dj vtg]

so you dont have to show valid photo id lol?

seems shady... who doesn't have valid photo id except for criminals?

 

[No1]

I registered in 2004 and didn't vote in the 2008 election cause I had a cold and said fuk that shyt


do I have to re-register again in order to vote?

I would, especially if your address has changed.

 

[Tom]

link me

 

[Jerz-2]

I registered in 2004 and didn't vote in the 2008 election cause I had a cold and said fuk that shyt

do I have to re-register again in order to vote?

If you moved, you need to re-register to vote with your new county and state.

If not, you can check your voting registration status by going here:

Can I Vote? | Find Out If You Are Registered to Vote

 

[Jerz-2]

So how they suppose to know it's u voting then?

so you dont have to show valid photo id lol?

seems shady... who doesn't have valid photo id except for criminals?

Naw, y'all.

This was a controversial law that said that you had to present a VERY-SPECIFIC type of photo ID in order to vote, or you ain't votin'. Any other type of ID will not be accepted.

The lawsuit argued not that it was unconstitutional, but that it was unfair in that it disenfranchised entire portions of the population by its application. Like, they had people testify about not being able to get the ID from the state, having problems once at the office, etc...

Not surprisingly, it would have almost certainly limited the ability to vote of countless minorities, senior citizens, young adults, college students and poor people.

It was a Republican-sponsored bill that became law, and it was basically enacted to make sure that Obama wouldn't get elected again. I mean, let's be real here....he won this region in 2008 and it's a vital region. Mad young people helped put him over the top. That was four years ago, and now you have another crop of young people who will be voting for the first time. It was the Republicans' way of addressing the youth vote, of trying to quell it.

Anyway....nikkas need to educate yourselves. It's not a game.

 

[Captain]

nikkas need to educate yourselves. It's not a game.

 

[ThugLife]

The reason our country can't get nothin done is cause yall stay arguing over petty shyt like this.

 

[Tom]

shyt says I'm registered to vote but why does it also say?

"Status : INACTIVE"


and why the Party is democratic?

 

[AAKing23]

Damn ain't no excuse for me not to vote now