Robert Barnes
Washington Post
August 15, 2012
A Pennsylvania judge ruled Wednesday that a new Republican-supported state voter ID law could be implemented for Election Day, despite objections that it was a partisan attempt to hurt President Obama and could cost thousands of voters the right to cast ballots.
Commonwealth Judge Robert Simpson said the individuals and civil rights groups challenging the law had not met the heavy burden of proving that it so clearly violated the state constitution that it should not be implemented. He said there was still time for those without proper ID to acquire it.
“Petitioners did not establish . . . that disenfranchisement was immediate or inevitable,”Simpson wrote, adding, “I was convinced that Act 18 will be implemented by Commonwealth agencies in a nonpartisan, evenhanded manner.”
Related articles
- Pennsylvania judge denies challenge to state’s voter ID law (reuters.com)
- Republican judge blocks rights groups’ suit over Pennsylvania voter ID law (rawstory.com)
- BREAKING: Judge Upholds Pennsylvania Voter ID Law; Opponents To Appeal (thinkprogress.org)
- Judge Won’t Block Pennsylvania Voter-ID Law – Wall Street Journal (stream.wsj.com)
