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"Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania: Done,"

The law requires Pennsylvania voters to present a valid photo ID at the polls before voting in November’s election. Valid forms of photo identification include driver’s licenses, military IDs, college IDs, local or county government employee IDs and photo IDs from state care facilities. Most Pennsylvania state college IDs will not be accepted because they do not have expiration dates.

The state’s Department of Transportation is required to provide free IDs for any prospective voters who do not have the requisite form of identification. As many as 1.3 million Pennsylvania voters lack the required form of ID, according to testimony from Matt Barreto, a Seattle political scientist from the University of Washington who was called to the stand by lawyers from The Advancement Project, a civil rights advocacy group challenging the law.

Penda Hair, co-director of the Advancement Project, told ABC News that it was “ludicrous to think that any significant percentage” of the more than 1 million Pennsylvanians who do not have a valid photo ID will be able to get one before November’s election.

“I think the intent was for it to affect the elections,” Hair said. “Elections in Pennsylvania are ordinarily decided by margins that are less than 1 million voters. That’s how many voters we are talking about being barred from voting this fall.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/pennsylvania-court-upholds-voter-id-law/

What do you think about this? Is it fair or unconstitutional?

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Hollyhock.

Asked by Hollyhock. at 2:33 PM on Aug. 17, 2012 in Politics & Current Events

Level 23 (16,924 Credits)
Answers (58)
  • It is fair and constitutional, and they haven't been able to find a case of disenfranchisement in any state that has similar laws, despite searching with a fine tooth comb for years. Even people who want to overturn the law and want to lie about it can't substantiate the lie.
    NotPanicking

    Answer by NotPanicking at 3:16 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • I honestly do not know what all the hooplah is about. I was born and raised in Kentucky, which is supposed to be a most backwards state. I've been voting since I was 18 years old, and I have always had to show identification when I signed the registration book to vote. It is to prevent voter fraud, pure and simple. It assures that nobody passes himself off as someone he isn't, and it further assures that no person votes but one time. I have worked at the polls for more than 20 years, and we never have people throw a fit because they have to prove they are who they say they are. We also verify addresses on every single voter. How this can be in any way perceived as discrimination is beyond my comprehension to figure out. Every person is required to do the exact same thing! I don't get it!!
    NannyB.

    Answer by NannyB. at 3:21 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • – collapse

    The only reason this is happening is to help Romeny win. The gop is on tape saying we can win Pennsylvania if we pass this law. There was no proof of voter fraud, not one case. This is just sad.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EuOT1bRYdK8
    mommom2000

    Answer by mommom2000 at 3:25 PM on Aug. 17, 2012 (hidden) + expand

  • i dont get why it would be so impossible for ppl to get an ID from the govt between now & Nov 6...thats at least 2 months & any citizen can get an ID in about 15 mins.

    how does a citizen go thru life without a photo ID?
    okmanders

    Answer by okmanders at 3:30 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • I think it's fair and constitutional. Assuming someone is incapable of obtaining a state issued ID is not only an excuse, it's an insult. There are many things that one needs an ID for. The state is assuming the cost of the identification. I don't feel that this disenfranchised any voter and I think it's completely reasonable to expect to get an ID within an 80 day span.
    QuinnMae

    Answer by QuinnMae at 3:35 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • Many seniors and many poor people don't drive. In big cities, many minorities rely on public transit. And many young adults, especially those in college, don't yet have licenses.By all estimates, those least likely to have a government-issued photo ID fall into one of four categories: the elderly, minorities, the poor and young adults aged 18 to 24. The Brennan Center estimates that 18 percent of all seniors and 25 percent of African-Americans don't have picture IDs.

    So now we only have the right to vote as long as we have a drivers license? I looked up the info for my state and I'm not required to show a picture id. They should have at least done this sooner. It would be easy for someone like me to get an id because I don't work. Alot of these people will have to take off work or skip school and some people just can't do that.
    Hollyhock.

    Comment by Hollyhock. (original poster) at 3:57 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • Alot of these people do have some sort of identification but it doesn't have a photo. Like bank cards or medicare cards. Why is that not good enough? It may not be unconstitutional, but they aren't doing it to protect legitimate voters, they're doing it so Romney will win. It's more the reason behind this and the timing that I have an issue with, not so much the actual law.
    Hollyhock.

    Comment by Hollyhock. (original poster) at 4:00 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • How do you get a bank card with no photo ID?
    QuinnMae

    Answer by QuinnMae at 4:03 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • Alot of these people do have some sort of identification but it doesn't have a photo. Like bank cards or medicare cards

    Repeating a lie doesn't make it true. There are no disenfranchised people who do not have access to a photo ID. They cannot receive or use the bank card without having a photo ID to go with it.
    NotPanicking

    Answer by NotPanicking at 4:07 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

  • Nowhere does it say you have to have a driver's license and my sister does NOT and she got a government issued ID so that she could buy her cigarettes when she turned 18! We are in PA and I have always been asked for my ID when voting in a new district for the first time any way. After that not again, but that was because they were small towns and I was recognized by then. I think it is perfectly legal and think we should have to show ID. Now I have not read the actual law to see how anything is worded or anything like that so I can't say if I support the bill itself or not, but I do support showing ID.
    Anonymous

    Answer by Anonymous at 4:07 PM on Aug. 17, 2012

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