Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Goes to Supreme Court

On Thursday, the commonwealth’s Supreme Court will begin hearings regarding Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law, which, unless ruled unconstitutional by the court, will go into effect for the November elections. 

The law, requiring voters to present a valid state ID on Election Day, has been hotly debated in Pennsylvania and in its comparable forms across the country, as similar suits are being filed in multiple states.  Republican proponents of the law argue that voter identification is necessary to reduce voter fraudulence. Democrats counter that such a requirement is a detrimental to eligible voter turnout, as many prospective voters in Pennsylvania do not have a state identification or driver’s license.  Democrats, along with the ACLU, claim that the law discriminates against the poor and minority groups.

Last month, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled that requiring voters to present identification does not violate the state’s constitution.  As the case goes to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, neither Democrats nor Republicans hold a majority following the suspension of Justice Joan Orie Melvin.  Should the ruling be tied at 3-3, the lower court’s judgment will be upheld.  As Pennsylvania is expected to again be a swing state in November’s presidential election, the Supreme Court’s ruling could play a major part in deciding the election.

For the complete article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/voter-id-case-goes-to-pa-supreme-court-on-thursday-652639/