Politics

Penn. judge strikes down voter ID law

Rachel Stoltzfoos Staff Reporter
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A Democratic Pennsylvania judge struck down a controversial voter ID law Friday, setting the stage for a Supreme Court battle that could affect similar laws in other states, reported Reuters.

The law was passed by a Republican-led legislature (without any Democratic support) in 2012 and would require voters to present photo ID, but has yet to be implemented.

State judge Bernard McGinley said in the ruling the law “inescapably” encroaches on qualified electors’ right to vote.

“Disenfranchising voters through no fault of the voter himself is plainly unconstitutional,” he wrote.

Joseph Cercaine, lead organizer of PA Voting Rights Coalition, expressed concerns the law would have been costly to implement and called the ruling a victory.

“This is a tremendous relief,” he said to CNN.

Republican State Chairman Rob Gleason said in a statement he is “extremely disappointed” with the ruling and cited support for measures to combat voter fraud from an “overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians.”

It’s unclear whether the case will go to the State Supreme Court, but an attorney for Republican Gov. Tom Corbett issued a statement saying the state was evaluating the ruling and would determine what further legal moves might be appropriate.

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