Six weeks before election, Pennsylvania voter ID law back in court

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Six weeks before election, Pennsylvania voter ID law back in court

By Mark Shade

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania | Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:40am EDT

(Reuters) - A judge will reconsider on Tuesday whether Pennsylvania's new voter-identification law unfairly burdens residents who must prove they are eligible to cast ballots in the November 6 presidential race.

The hearing before Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson is aimed at determining whether voters can easily get state-issued identification cards required to vote on November 6.

The proceeding was ordered by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this month that if Simpson determines voters cannot easily obtain the IDs, he should block the law.

A national spotlight has focused on the court battle over the law passed last March by the state's Republican-led legislature, as similar fights over potential voter disenfranchisement by ID laws are waged in Texas and South Carolina.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/us-usa-campaign-pennsylvania-idUSBRE88O0Q620120925

[leftyohiolib]

1. heard about this on the norman goldman show

the appelate court decided 4-2 (1 abstaining) that the law should be struck down but instead of doing so itself , the court sent it to the district court judge to strike down.

[PRETZEL]

2. I think it's going to be real interesting how the state argues

what some of the counties have done, namely, allowing voters to go to county run facilities like senior centers and community colleges to get the id. The state has determined it legal but are non too happy about it.

Personally, if they argue against this proposal, the judge should have no choice.