Judge Upholds Pennsylvania's Voter ID Law

Pennsylvania’s new will stand—for now.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson on Wednesday morning released his decision that parties challenging the Voter ID law were not able to prove it will cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to the electorate.

was brought by voter advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP.

The groups suing to overturn the law immediately vowed to appeal the judgment.

“The court had a chance to intercede the PA legislators’ attempt to suppress the vote on Election Day,” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP regarding the ruling. “However, with today’s decision and the estimated amount of Pennsylvanians who lack the required photo ID, we will witness a marked decrease in voter turnout and in the number of ballots that will be counted on and after Election Day.”

Pennsylvania passed a law in March requiring all registered voters to show a valid and “acceptable” photo ID before voting. That means every voter in the Cranberry area will need valid photo ID when they arrive at the polls.

Opponents of the law say it disproportionately targets the elderly as well as the poor and minorities, who typically vote Democrat. Furthermore, critics say that the burden of obtaining an acceptable ID for these people would keep them from voting.

However, Judge Simpson decided that the state has surpassed its requirements to offer photo identification to those who need it and granted voters the ability to cast provisional ballots and prove their identity within six days.

He also noted that some of those who testified for the plaintiffs would likely need to use absentee ballots to vote.

“(The plaintiffs) did an excellent job of ‘putting a face’ to those burdened by the voter ID requirement,” Simpson wrote in his decision. “At the end of the day, however, I do not have the luxury of deciding this issue based on my sympathy for the witnesses or my esteem for counsel.”

Some readers on the Cranberry Patch Facebook page already have expressed dismay at the judge's decision. 

"This legislation is costly and unnecessary, and it's being used to actively disenfranchise voters," said Eileen O'Shea Wrubel. "Why aren't we spending that money keeping teachers in classrooms?"

Reader Tricia Lee applauded the law.

"It's about time for accountability!" she commented. "Now get out and vote!"

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason also issued a statement in support of today's ruling. 

“Today is an important day for voters in the state of Pennsylvania as the Commonwealth Court’s ruling protects the integrity of our electoral process at every level – city, state and federal," he said. “The fear-mongering that has played out in recent weeks has been unconscionable and with this ruling, the will of the people is upheld.  As evidenced by the Washington Post polling, Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of this law. Truly, it is time to move forward."

Thirty states have some sort of Voter ID law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and of those, 19 do not require a photo, six require a photo and five, including Pennsylvania, have strict photo requirements.

In June, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald joined county Controller Chelsa Wagner in challenging the law. Wagner, a Democrat, has endorsed efforts in the courts to keep the law from taking effect before the election and .

Controversy over the law flared in June when state Democrats criticized a comment from State House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, about the newly enacted law.

Turzai's comment, , was among several items he said had been accomplished on the Republican agenda. On the video, he says: "Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor [Mitt] Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."

Do you agree or disagree with the Commonwealth Court decision? Let us know what you think in the comments section.