Judge Robert Simpson Pauses PA Voter ID Law

Today marks a historic day for Pennsylvania State voters. Honorable Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson ruled against the full implementation of the infamous "show your ID card at polls in Pennsylvania on Nov. 6th" law. Instead, the law is set to be fully employed next year.

This is a big enough deal. There was a belief that the law was proposed and then imposed to disenfranchise voters and that it was a rather swift and slick move.

Let's clap for Judge Simpson, and make sure we still get those IDs for the next go 'round.

Check the USA Today excerpt...

A Pennsylvania judge is putting a halt to the state's voter identification law, ordering today that it not be enforced for the presidential election just five weeks away.

The ruling by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson could be appealed to the state's Supreme Court. Simpson's ruling says the law -- requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID -- would be fully implemented next year.

Simpson's ruling means Pennsylvania voters will be asked to show photo ID, but can still vote if they don't do so. The same policy was in effect during the state's primary earlier this year.

The judge said during hearings last week that he was considering invalidating a part of the six-month-old law -- considered one of the toughest in the nation -- for the Nov. 6 election.

Democrats and their allies, such as the NAACP, have been opposed to the voter ID law, saying it would harm minorities and low-income voters. Republicans have hailed the law as a way to reduce election fraud.

Simpson said today that he "expected more photo IDS to have been issued by this time. For this reason, I accept petitioners' argument that in the remaining five weeks before the general election, the gap between the photo IDs issued and the estimated need will not be closed."

Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the Advancement Project, which challenged the law in court, hailed Simpson's ruling. "The evidence made it clear to the judge that this law would indeed disenfranchise voters and that the Commonwealth was not equipped to implement it fairly right now," she said in a statement.

Source.

SCREAM @ ME!!!