Pennsylvania Supreme Court Says Not So Fast On Controversial Voter ID Laws

Pennsylvania's controversial voter ID isn't a done deal yet...

So… now that we know Romney is only running to be President of 53% of the country, the real question becomes how well the Romney campaign can suppress the voter turnout of the working poor or elderly people that Romney thinks are freeloaders.

Towards that end, the courts still have a lot to say about whether Republicans will be successful in their “don’t get out the vote” campaign. In Pennsylvania, the state supreme court said that it wants courts to take another look at the state’s new, controversial voter ID law.

Maybe Pennsylvania isn’t in the bag the way GOP has planned?

Today, the Pennsylvania state supreme court vacated a trial judge’s order upholding the law. From the State Supreme Court’s Order:

[T]he Law contemplates that the primary form of photo identification to be used by voters is a Department of Transportation (PennDOT) driver’s license or the non-driver equivalent provided under Section 1510(b) of the Vehicle Code. Furthermore, the Law specifically requires that – notwithstanding provisions of Section 1510(b) relating to the issuance and content of the cards – PennDOT shall issue them at no cost . . . . As such, the Law establishes a policy of liberal access to Section 1510(b) identification cards.

However, as implementation of the Law has proceeded, PennDOT — apparently for good reason — has refused to allow such liberal access.

Again, I know this is a hard point for yuppies — who have been granted every opportunity in life — to understand, but hopping down to the local DMV and getting a state ID isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially if you are elderly or poor or don’t have a lot of experience filling out forms and dealing with bureaucracy.

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In any event, the Court is kicking this issue back down to the commonwealth.

Click here for the full decision.

You think that instead of trying to suppress the vote of people who don’t have ID, state Republicans might try to, you know, convince them.

BREAKING: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Puts Voter ID Law In Jeopardy [Think Progress]

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