Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday's court ruling will allow voters to cast ballots on Nov. 6 without showing photo ID at the polls
Judge Robert Simpson issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday morning, halting part of Pennsylvania's tough new Voter ID Law from affecting the November presidential election. While the decision does not repeal the law that requires citizens to show photo identification to vote, if upheld, the ruling allows registered voters to cast ballots without an ID. Any appeal of Tuesday's ruling will be expedited by the state Supreme Court since Election Day is just five weeks away. To issue an injunction on the law, Simpson was tasked to consider two questions: Simpson, of Nazareth, is a former Northampton County judge. What do you think of the ruling? Tell us in the comments section below. Both supporters and opponents of the law reacted to the …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Judge Robert Simpson ruled Tuesday that implementation of Pennsylvania's new Voter ID law be put on hold until after the Nov. 6 general election.
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
A judge ruled today that Pennsylvania's tough new Voter ID Law should be put on hold until after the Nov. 6 general election, according to an Associated Press report. The ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, which said it would expedite any further action in the case since Election Day is just five weeks away. Do you agree with the ruling? Tell us in the comments section below. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson heard two days of testimony last week, as directed by the Supreme Court, to determine whether the state has made it easy enough to get a photo ID in order to vote. Opponents say the law, and the process to get an ID, disenfranchises voters. Supporters say the law will prevent voter fraud - but that justification …
Sunday, September 30, 2012
A state consumer group is urging colleges and universities to offer voter ID-valid cards to students.
While Pennsylvania's new voter ID law is still being tossed about in the courts, community activists, agencies and even local governments are scrambling to make sure registered voters have the necessary ID. One of those approved forms of photo ID is a current student ID from an accredited state public or private institution of higher learning so long as it contains the student's name, photo and a current expiration date. While most colleges and universities issue student IDs, not all are in compliance with the new law. According to PennPIRG, a state consumer advocacy group, the most common missing element is an expiration date. The Voter ID law allows for those institutions to come into compliance by adding an expiration sticker to the ID…
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
PennDOT driver's license centers in Lehigh and Northampton counties are providing free photo ID for voters who need identification.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
HARRISBURG – Since the Pennsylvania Voter ID law was enacted in March, PennDOT has been working closely with the Department of State to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to obtain photo identification. Starting today statewide, voters who lack verification documents necessary for a secure Pennsylvania Photo ID (non-driver’s license ID card), will be able to obtain a new Department of State voter identification card for free by visiting a PennDOT Driver License Center: LEHIGH COUNTY NORTHAMPTON COUNTY The Department of State Voter ID is valid for voting purposes only. If a resident has the necessary documents, PennDOT’s primary focus is to issue a secure Pennsylvania Identification. If the customer was born in Pennsylvania but …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson, who is from Nazareth, upheld Pennsylvania's controversial voter ID law in a decision handed down Wednesday.
Following Wednesday's decision by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson to uphold Pennsylvania's controversial voter ID law, reactions poured in from both sides of the politicial aisle, voter advocacy organizations and Patch readers. Below are some samples of what people were saying. Be sure to add your voice to the mix by posting a comment below! Walt Garvin, Northampton County Democratic Party Chairman “I am extremely disappointed in the judge's decision. There are many reasons for this disappointment, the most critical of them being the impact that this ruling will have on Election Day: There will be longer lines than ever at the polls! “It was not uncommon to have lines two and three hours long during the past three presidential …
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State Rep. Justin Simmons
Route 378 & Black River Rd, Bethlehem, PA
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Joyce Block, 90, was part of the lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law and said she isn’t giving up, even after a state court upheld the law.
A Doylestown great-grandmother involved in the lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law said she is not giving up, despite a state court’s ruling Wednesday. Joyce Block said she was disgusted by the state court’s upholding of the law which requires Pennsylvania voters to show an approved identification card before they can vote. “This is disgraceful. They disenfranchise so many people, and I’m just thoroughly disgusted,” Block said Wednesday morning. “I’m glad we’re going to appeal it. It isn’t over yet.” Block, who is 90, tried to get an identification card from the PennDOT office in Dublin, Bucks County, but was denied. Her birth certificate and Social Security card are in her maiden name, Joyce Lucille Altman, but her Medicare card …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Will the Commonwealth Court decision to uphold Pennsylvania's controversial voter ID requirement stick? Tell us in the comments.
The Commonwealth Court ruled Wednesday morning not to stop Pennsylvania's controversial new voter identification law from going into effect. Judge Robert Simpson, of Nazareth, Pa., will not grant an injunction that would have halted the law requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID. Opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state Supreme Court as the Nov. 6 presidential election fast approaches, according to the Associated Press. The challenge to the law was brought by voter advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. Pennsylvania passed a law in March requiring all registered voters to show a valid and “acceptable” photo ID before voting. This is one of the strictest voter …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Some Pa. voters may be eligible for alternative ballots - a potential loophole in the state's controversial new Voter ID law.
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Monday, August 13, 2012
While we wait for a ruling this week on the controversial Voter ID bill, there appears to be a loophole, according to Philly.com, in the form of the alternative ballot. The alternative ballot is basically an absentee ballot for those with a disability or who are older than 65 and who have a polling place deemed inaccessible by the County Board of Elections. Although the application for absentee ballot now asks for your driver's license number, Social Security number or other acceptable form of identification, the alternative ballot application does not ask for that. If you are planning on voting by absentee ballot or alternative ballot, be sure to plan ahead. Applications for either must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 and the …
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Columnist headed to the only Driver's License Center in Lehigh County that issues IDs for voters.
I spent a recent afternoon in an experiment to see how long it might take to get a voter’s photo ID from the PennDOT Driver's License Center off Airport Road. I’ll tell you the results in a minute. It’s an important question because according to Pennsylvania’s Department of State, about 31,000 registered voters in the Lehigh Valley are without a current driver’s license or state issued non-driver ID that will enable them to vote in the Nov. 6 presidential election. Some of those folks have other official photo identification that will be accepted at the polls because they are a government employee, a member of the military, a university student or a nursing home patient or employee. All those IDs, so long as they haven’t expired -- plus …
Friday, August 3, 2012
Opponents of new Voter ID law say some PennDOT workers don't know the details well enough to help ensure residents have correct identification for the polls
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Friday, August 3, 2012
By Jared Sichel | PA Independent HARRISBURG — Opponents of Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law said state employees are not giving correct information to people seeking identification as part of the voter registration process. This theme pervaded the plaintiffs’ testimonies about employees at the state Department of Transportation given during the fifth day of court hearings at the Commonwealth Court here. Lawyers representing 10 Pennsylvania voters argued this week that because some PennDOT employees don’t know the details of the law, the state cannot fully implement its own legislation before the November elections. In March, Pennsylvania became the ninth state to require photo ID as a condition of voting. The law states that people who don’…
WILFREDO G. SALCEDO, Sr.
12:38 pm on Friday, October 5, 2012
Romney, the better bum. more ›