The new Pennsylvania voter identification law is far more fraudulent than any of the state’s nearly nine million registered voters.
The Republican-backed legislation’s alleged purpose is to prevent voter fraud at the polls in the upcoming Presidential election, but that hardly seems to be the true intent of the law.
According to a recent study done by News21, a national initiative created by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to train a new generation of journalists, there have been 10 documented cases of in-person voter fraud in the United States since 2000.
That equates to roughly one in every 15 million prospective voters.
Lawyers representing the state during the law’s recent legal battle even admitted in court that they are unaware of any incident of in-person voter fraud in Pa.
This law was created to stop an issue that doesn’t exist.
The real impact on the election this law will have is that it makes roughly nine percent of the state’s electorate lack the necessary identification needed to vote in November.
The groups most impacted by the law are the elderly, poor, disabled, and young adults, all of which are often Democratic voters.
It’s no wonder Pa. House Majority Leader Mike Turza said at a meeting of the Republican State Committee in June that the voter I.D. law “is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.”
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson, a Republican, ruled earlier this month that the law will be carried out in a “nonpartisan, even-handed manner.”
While it’s true both Democrats and Republicans will be required to present I.D. cards at the polls, that’s about as even-handed as this law goes. The impact of this useless law falls favorably to the right.
Proponents for the law will mention how PennDot will be offering free photo I.D.s to residents of the state, which, granted, is good to hear.
But it remains an obstacle that will deter many voters from making it to the polls, especially ones that don’t have the means to make it to a PennDot facility – which can be rather hard with not driver’s license.
The major thing Slippery Rock University’s students need to realize, is if they lack the photo I.D. needed to vote, they can use their student I.D. as long as it is the updated version of the card, which includes an expiration date.
Politics plays a role in every law passed in a state. Sometimes it is more direct than others. And there is no denying both Democrats and Republicans try to use legislation to fit the best interest of their respective party.
But this law is an example of legislation with no real purpose other than to give the GOP a political nudge at the polls.
It doesn’t matter if you plan to vote Democrat or Republican this election day, it is hard for anyone to deny that this law’s alleged purpose is a fraud.
