Upper Macungie Reacts to Voter ID Decision

Commonwealth Court ruled Wednesday morning not to stop Pennsylvania's controversial new  from going into effect.

 will not grant an injunction that would have halted the law requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID.

Opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state Supreme Court as the Nov. 6 presidential election fast approaches, according to the Associated Press.

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

Upper Macungie supervisor Kathy Rader said she was pleased with the outcome.

"I think you need that," Rader said. "The voter ID law needs to be in place. It will prevent a lot of problems."

Paul Hoffman of Upper Macungie brought up an interesting point concerning absentee ballots.

"Somebody's missing the boat," Hoffman said. "How do they check the absentee ballots? What happens to them? How many people would be affected?"

Hoffman's wife, Carol, said she was in favor of the ruling.

"It will rid us of a lot of walk-in votes and help with voter fraud," she said. "To be perfectly honest, I think it's a good idea."

Pastor Jake Lee of Trinity Wesleyan Church on Cetronia Road said he doesn't see the law violating anyone's civil rights.

"Nowadays, you have to show ID to get anywhere," he said. "I think it totally makes sense and it's a good law."

Upper Macungie supervisor Sam Ashmar said that it's reasonable to think a person should be walking around with ID.

"I think it's a good vote to keep the system. They've had plenty of notice," he said.

Alan Jennings, executive director of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, said the law is “clearly a deliberate effort to disempower certain voters on behalf of other voters.”

Jennings cited Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai’s declaration at a GOP State Committee meeting in which Turzai said: “Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania – done.”

“This is a blantant effort as sinister as it is cynical to take away the most fundamental right we have as Americans,” Jennings said. “Unless the judge doesn’t understand the day-to-day travails of average people, it’s unimaginable that he could have come to that decision.”

Jennings said his organization works with people who don’t own cars and don’t have the kinds of jobs they can just leave to go “deal with government bureaucracy” to get an official voter ID.

“It’s the kind of thing that has led so many people to give up their faith in our democracy or the notion that they have any say in their government,” he said.

Pennsylvania passed a law in March requiring all registered voters to show a  before voting. This is one of the strictest voter ID laws in the nation. 

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.They add that preventing  (the supposed purpose of the law) is not a serious concern.

“We are disappointed that the Pennsylvania court has upheld this voter suppression law. Recently, when similar laws in other states have been reviewed by a court or the U.S. Department of Justice they have been deemed to be discriminatory, and we believe this to be the case in Pennsylvania,” said Elisabeth MacNamara, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States.

The NAACP also condemned the ruling.

“Nearly a month ago, a Pennsylvania state representative openly professed the intent of the voter ID law,” said Jerome Mondesire, President of the Pennsylvania State Conference of the NAACP. “Today, that same brand of politics can claim victory in suppressing the vote.”  

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