The devil is in the details of a controversial voter identification law being appealed in the lower courts of Pennsylvania this month, and registered voters need to educate themselves on those details before voting in November, panelists said at a forum Wednesday night. “It’s one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country,” said Sara Mullen, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. The commentary came during a voter identification forum at the University of Scranton on Wednesday night in front of a crowd of about 30 people. Panelists discussed the law as it stands now and what it meant for voters, who will be required to present government issued photo identification that also has an expiration date.
Panelists also included Marion Medalis, director of elections for Lackawanna County; Roberta Winters of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania; Ron Felton of the Luzerne County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Keith Williams of the Northeast Pennsylvania Center for Independent Living; and Michael Hanley, executive director of the United Neighborhood Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Many panelists argued the law restricted minority groups, including Latinos, women, elderly citizens and people with disabilities – groups with significant rates of individuals without driver’s licenses. While the new law is debated, Ms. Medalis stressed the importance of people having photo ID that meets the requirements should it remain a law.
Full Article: Panel picks apart voter ID law – News – The Times-Tribune.