A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday upheld his state’s tough new voter identification law — which critics believe will suppress turnout and help Republicans in a key November battleground.
The law, which was written by state Republicans, will likely limit voting by minorities, senior citizens, young adults, college students and the poor — all constituencies expected to largely cast their ballots for President Barack Obama on Election Day.
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson refused to grant an injunction which would have stopped the new law, which requires all voters to display a state-issued photo ID at their polling place.
The law has been highly politicized from its inception.
It was written by a GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett after every single Democratic lawmaker voted against it.
The debate was further inflamed when the state's Republican House leader crowed to a GOP gathering that the new law "is going to allow Gov. Romney to win the state" in November.
Pennsylvania has long been a crucial swing state, but Democrats have carried it the last five elections — and Obama currently enjoys a lead in the polls.
The GOP has insisted that the law is not political and is necessary to prevent voter fraud.
Previously, voters only had to show a form of ID when they moved to a new polling location — and that identification did not have to include a photo, meaning something like a utility bill would suffice. Voters who were already registered at a polling site did not have to show ID at all.
Now, an official ID — like a driver’s license or passport — is required for every voter.
Critics of the law argue that many people will be turned away because they do not have an official ID and do not have documents — like a birth certificate — required to obtain one.
Moreover, liberals argue that still other voters who have ID may be unaware of the new law and therefore not bring their documentation to the polls — which could cause massive delays and spur some would-be voters to walk away.
There have only been four reported cases of voter fraud in Pennsylvania since 2004 — out of more than 20 million ballots cast. State officials estimate that more than 750,000 people — nearly 10 percent of Pennsylvania’s population — do not currently posses the needed IDs.
Judge Simpson, a Republican, did not rule on the full merits of the case but said he believed that enforcement of the law would be handled in a "nonpartisan, even-handed manner."
The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit against the new law, has said they will immediately appeal Wednesday’s verdict.
The case would then go to the state Supreme Court, which is comprised of three Democrats and three Republicans. The seventh member is not currently on the bench due to a scandal.
Among the plaintiffs who tried to block the law is a 93-year-old woman who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960 but would now be unable to vote.
Pennsylvania is the tenth state to require that voters present some sort of government-issued IDs at the polls. Efforts to pass similar requirements in Wisconsin and Missouri were recently defeated.
The Justice Department is also exploring whether the new legislation complies with federal laws.
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