Justice Department Investigates Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Justice Department Investigates Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has launched a formal investigation into whether Pennsylvania’s voter ID law discriminates against minorities, TPM has learned.

In a letter to Pennsylvania officials on Monday, the Justice Department requested state data on registered voters as well as the state’s list of individuals with driver’s licenses and ID cards.

Pennsylvania has said that over 750,000 voters lack an adequate form of voter ID, a number greater than President Obama’s margin of victory in the state in 2008. One top Republican even said the voter ID law would help Mitt Romney win the state. As TPM reported, the public relations firm contracted to educate the public about the new voter ID law is stacked with Republicans.

DOJ’s probe marks the first time it has publicly acknowledged a formal investigation of a voter ID law passed in a state which is not covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain states with a history of racial discrimination to have changes to their voting laws precleared. The Pennsylvania investigation falls under Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits any state from enacting a “voting standard, practice, or procedure that results in the denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.”

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/doj_investigates_pennsylvania_voter_id_law.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TPMmuckraker+%28TPMmuckraker%29

[CatWoman]

1. very happy to hear this

[Riverman100]

3. Oh Lord please please

We have to stop those rotton s.o.b's. They Scream "voter fraud". I scream "election fraud". Anti -american s.o.b's

[Lugnut]

2. Good!

Thank you to the DOJ.

[gregoire]

4. Until mintories have equal access to drivers licenses...

any attempt to make one required to vote should be considered a crime. The DOJ shouldn't be "investigating." They should be arrested these idiots on federal charges.

[Ford_Prefect]

5. Will they look into Who is behind the funding of the recent push for such laws?

One wonders just how loud we have to yell RICO ACT to get the DOJ looking in the right direction at this conspicuous organized conspiracy to deny voting rights. The model legislation, talking points, alleged "statistics" have one central source as does much of the money spent behind the scenes.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

6. 'top R said the law would help Romney'--Hope he gets grilled for hours

Hope he gets grilled for hours and then the tape is leaked to the press.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Woot!!! BIG K&R

[siligut]

8. So what is Congress going to do to the DOJ this time?

What charges are they going to drum up in order to punish and interfere?

[oldhippydude]

9. DOJ---> ALEC---> RICO

conspiracy to deny voting rights

[Botany]

10. My email to Eric worked!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=969379

[malthaussen]

11. How wonderful, another "first" for Pennsylvania

I love this state and have all my life, but the leadership we have elected makes my heart hurt.

-- Mal

[Gothmog]

12. I am happy that the DOJ is being so active in this area

I am glad that the DOJ stepped in on the Texas voter id law and blocked it. The DOJ did a great job in the trial on this law. I hate to think where we would be in Texas if the DOJ had not stepped in.

[kooljerk666]

13. As a PA resident.........

Last edited Tue Jul 24, 2012, 07:34 AM - Edit history (1)

this is the best news I never expected to hear.

I spent a day, after Turzai stupidly admitted there was a criminal conspiracy afoot, call Sen Jud Committee & every dem member. Everyone I spoke with was 'shocked' that someone would admit something so stupid.

Guys at Leahy's office were almost laffing at my tirade, not at me (unusual!) but with me.

EDIT start:

Todays Philadelphia Inquirer has a front page story about this, small & lower right habd corner but at least it is there!

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20120724_U_S__investigation_of_Pa__s_new_voter_ID_law.html

End edit

[nykym]

14. And this also

posted on DU this morning by; Dovid Rees

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125159391

SO lets recap some twit said it would help Romney win and now this twit says it's a myth.
sounds like grounds for a reversal.

[Surf Fishing Guru]

15. Philly inquirer today: Voter ID's partisan impact may have been exaggerated

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20120730_Voter_ID_s_partisan_impact_may_have_been_exaggerated.html?&c=n

The thing is PA has criteria to be considered a "qualified elector" and I don't see how making EVERYONE intending to cast a ballot prove they meet the criteria can be seen as such a bad thing.

The PA Constitution establishes the criteria to be considered a qualified elector of the Commonwealth.

They are:

"A citizen 21 years of age, possessing the following qualifications, shall be entitled to vote at all elections . . .

1. He or she shall have been a citizen of the United States at least one month.
2. He or she shall have resided in the State ninety (90) days immediately preceding the election.
3. He or she shall have resided in the election district where he or she shall offer to vote at least sixty (60) days immediately preceding the election, . . . "

It would be my argument that it is obvious that persons NOT POSSESSING the qualifying criteria are NOT QUALIFIED ELECTORS and are NOT ENTITLED to cast a ballot.

Can anyone, without entering into the partisan talking points answer this as a simple legal question: If election officials can not verify that those citizenship and residency qualifications are met before letting someone cast a ballot, why have qualifications at all?

[Ford_Prefect]

16. The issue is the timing of this process.

In order to vote one must register. Presuming that there will be a timely way to do so and that reasonable qualifications are correctly met by those registering what purpose is served by challenging them yet again on the day?

In essence this amounts to double jeopardy. In function what it does is add a layer of fear to the process. How many people innocent of any intent or crime feel afraid when they go through the security check at an airport? Why? Is it because of the inherent sense of menace that the security process represents? Is it the possibility that one could by mistake become a target of that menace?

Ask those who once had to undergo enormous scrutiny merely to vote in South Africa or South Carolina how it feels? Such menaces do indeed have an effect. That effect is intended by ALEC and those whom it represents. Whether by doubt or intention you seem to amplify their actions.

I propose that the process of voting registration should ENABLE as many citizens who wish to participate. To do otherwise is to eliminate many in favor of the FEW.