Pennsylvania Voter ID law blocked by Judge

image
Published: 02 Oct, 2012
1 min read

In a ruling today, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson put the Pennsylvania voter ID debate to rest by ruling that voters in Pennslyvania will not have to show a photo ID to vote, at least for now. NBC News reports,

Simpson’s ruling means that the photo ID requirement won’t be in effect for the Nov. 6 election, but it may be in effect for future elections. His decision did not strike down the entire law; in fact he rejected efforts by those challenging to law to stop state officials from educating voters about the voter ID requirement.Simpson also said that those challenging the law have conceded that the part of the law which requires proof of identification for absentee voting does not harm would-be voters and may be implemented.
Todd Wiseman / Texas Tribune

The ruling essentially mandates that a voter's "provisional ballot" cannot be invalidated because that voter refuses to show identification, but election officials still have the right to ask for an ID. It also leaves open the future of voter ID laws in Pennsylvania, postponing the debate to a non-election year.

This news might come as a disappointment to the majority of Pennsylvania registered voters, who favored voter ID laws in order to prevent alleged voter fraud. Among Republican leaders who might be disappointed is Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, who admitted earlier this year that the Pennsylvania voter ID law “is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."

What's your opinion on the ruling? Is it fair to postpone the voter ID debate until next election?

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read