Voter ID Optional for November 6th Election
Pa. Court rules voters can cast ballots without ID
You can read the judge’s opinion here (pdf)
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson put a temporary hold on the full implementation of Pennsylvania’s controversial new voter ID law, allowing voters to cast ballots in November’s election whether they have state-issued photo ID’s or not.
In his ruling, which is widely expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, Simpson ordered an injunction that would target the portion of the law that deals with provisional ballots. Simpson decided that the law does not disenfranchise voters simply because it requires poll workers to ask for photo ID. Rather, the risk comes when a voter casts a provisional ballot but then cannot obtain the necessary identification in time.
As a result, Simpson decided that for the November 6 election only, voters without appropriate photo ID could vote, and would no longer have to produce identification within six days, so their votes would be counted.
On Wednesday, in response to Simpson’s ruling, lead sponsor of the voter ID bill, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, made the following statement:
“Rather than making a ruling based on the constitution and the law, this judicial activist decision is skewed in favor of the lazy who refuse to exercise the necessary work ethic to meet the common sense requirements to obtain an acceptable photo ID…..Judge Simpson…has chosen to openly enable…the ever-increasing entitlement mentality of those individuals who have no trouble living off the fruits of their neighbors’ labor.”
Sound familiar? Metcalfe is talking about those “lazy” 47% voters, the “takers”, “who don’t take responsibility and care for their lives.” Romney and Ryan’s talking points are supported and promoted by our own state Republican Party.
A reasonable person might ask what Metcalfe’s view has to do with a citizen’s fundamental right to vote?
Metcalfe, his friend Mike Turzai (remember this sound bite?) and the lock-step Republican state House and Senate members need to go!
It’s essential that we elect Paul Drucker in the 157th and return Andy Dinniman to the
state Senate if we want to change the agenda in Harrisburg!
