HARRISBURG —
Lawyers hoping to persuade a judge to order a halt to a new Pennsylvania law that requires voters to show photo identification at the polls are bringing people to court Thursday to testify about hurdles they have encountered trying to get valid IDs.
The testimony in the hastily arranged hearing is expected to last much of the day. After that, all eyes will be on Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson, who hinted after the hearing’s first day this week that an injunction is possible.
However, Simpson gave no indication what an injunction might say or whether it would prevent the entire law from taking effect for the Nov. 6 election, as the law’s opponents are seeking.
The hearing in front of Simpson is the latest chapter in a legal challenge to the 6-month-old law that has sparked a divisive debate over voting rights and has become a partisan lightning rod in the contest between Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for Pennsylvania’s prized 20 electoral votes.
Simpson is under orders from the state Supreme Court to halt the law by next Tuesday — just five weeks before the election — if he finds the state has not met the law’s promise of providing free and easy access to a photo ID or if he believes it will prevent any registered voters from casting a ballot.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs say registered voters continue to be turned away from state driver licensing centers without a photo ID. They cite burdensome and complicated requirements that ill-informed clerks at the license centers have handled poorly.
State officials say they believe the number of people who need an ID to vote is small — the state had issued less than 11,000 free IDs as of Monday — and they contend that an 11th-hour overhaul in the requirements for someone to get a voting-only photo ID should comply with the Supreme Court’s directions.
But opponents of the law say the Legislature intended that photo ID cards be freely available in March, when the law passed, not with just a few weeks left before the election. In addition, they contend that many people still do not know about the law and say that the state’s performance up until now ensures that some people will be prevented from exercising their right to vote, particularly college students, the poor, minorities, the elderly and the disabled.
In the meantime, the state has pressed ahead, sending postcards about the law to registered voters, airing TV and radio commercials and posting ads on billboards and mass transit vehicles.
Simpson initially denied the request for a preliminary injunction in August, saying the plaintiffs did not show that “disenfranchisement was immediate or inevitable.” But after an appeal, the Supreme Court directed him to use a much tougher standard for tolerating voter disenfranchisement.
Pennsylvania’s new law is among the toughest in the nation. The prior law required identification only for people voting in a polling place for the first time and it allowed non-photo documents such as utility bills or bank statements. The new law requires each voter to show a particular form of photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, active duty military identification, nursing home ID or college student ID.
Closer Look
Election 2012: Witnesses to detail voter ID law barriers
- Closer Look
-
-
John K. Manna: Data shows decline in number of primary voters
Voter participation isn’t what it used to be. That’s nothing new, but there has been a significant drop in voting here in Lawrence County. And it’s happened suddenly, particularly in the so-called “off-year” elections.
-
Primary 2013: School board candidate tops campaign spending
Historically, spending by school board candidates has paled in comparison to those running for other local offices. But not this year, at least with one candidate — George J. Gabriel.
-
On the Record: A listing of today’s police items and district judge reports
On the Record is a periodic update of public information coming out of the Lawrence County Government Center and local police departments. Look inside for the latest listing of police items and district judge reports.
-
Lawmakers looking at special education funding
The state hands out special education dollars under a flawed formula that gives schools the same amount of money, regardless of how many students need services or how intense and costly those services are, lawmakers said.
-
Our Opinion: We endorse candidates for New Castle board
The New Castle school district is often a study in contrasts. There are complaints about the district on everything from taxes to nepotism, from test scores to ethical slights. Yet at the same time, plenty of students within the district excel. It’s a tribute to the hard work of those students, their families and the educators who support them.
-
Our Opinion: You should be frightened, outraged by IRS abuse of power
When people talk about government posing a threat to citizens, a common topic these days is unmanned drones. But a more credible threat may be the Internal Revenue Service. This agency, responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing related rules, has the ability to make life miserable for the average individual.
-
Supervisors undecided on radio tower
The Neshannock Township fire department is waiting for the supervisors to decide whether it will get a new radio tower. Chairman Ralph Sheen said at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting he had gone to look at the tower on the Clen-Moore station after being told it is in disrepair.
-
Mahoning to be paid for Edinburg easement
Mahoning Township will get $53,000 for an easement on property in Edinburg. The supervisors unanimously approved a contract Tuesday allowing Pennant Midstream — a Marcellus Shale oil and gas development company — to run 100 feet of pipe through township-owned property off First Street.
-
Shenango board not raising taxes
The Shenango Area School Board has introduced a $15.8 million budget that requires no tax increase. The $15,819,792 spending plan for the 2013-14 school year is $43,012 higher than the current budget.
-
Shenango hires three teachers
The Shenango Area School Board hired three elementary teachers for the 2013-14 school year. They are:
- More Closer Look Headlines
-
