A court battle over the state of Pennsylvania’s controversial voter identification law is being seen as a proxy in the battle between Republicans and Democrats. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has asked a lower court to reconsider its earlier ruling in favor of the law. Republican legislatures across the country have pushed voter ID laws – ostensibly to prevent voter fraud. Democrats argue the laws are an attempt to suppress minority voter turnout. Democratic volunteers are canvassing Philadelphia neighborhoods with information on the state’s new voter ID law. The Republican-sponsored law requires voters to have state-approved photo ID to vote. But more than 700,000 voters may not have one.
“We think there are going to be a lot of people surprised when they show up [to vote] this year,” said Bob Previdi, who is with the non-partisan Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition.”And we are trying to alert as many people as possible that they need to have this photo voter ID.”
Critics say the law is a thinly-veiled attempt to disenfranchise minority voters who voted for President Obama in 2008. “A lot of African-Americans don’t have ID’s,” said Charles Warner, a Philadelphia voter. “And some of our Spanish-Americans don’t have ID’s either. [Republicans] they don’t want him [Obama] in. They don’t want him in office no more.”
Full Article: Democrats, Republicans Battle Over Voter ID Laws.