Mike Turzai, the Pennsylvania House majority leader, is honest if nothing else. His exact statement to a crowd of state Republicans — that the new voter ID law “is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania” — was the most truthful accounting of why the party is pushing for allegedly more stringent voting rules across the nation. This is not about voter fraud, a claim that has never been substantiated, but about politics. Pennsylvania’s new rules will require a government photo ID to be able to vote, which disproportionately burdens those without cars: the poor, elderly, and minority voters who trend Democratic. Students without drivers’ licenses will also be stuck.
… Improving voting systems is an important agenda but the problem is not voter fraud, it is negligence. The nation’s voting infrastructure is antiquated, and an embarrassment for a nation that upholds democratic engagement to the rest of the world. New programs for allowing electronic ballots, creating enhanced voter-registration databases, and guaranteeing ballot security are all legitimate efforts to improve the integrity of the voting system. But laws like Pennsylvania’s aren’t about the integrity of voting. As Turzai was clear to remind us, they are about who wins elections. He should be applauded for making it so clear.
Full Article: New voter ID laws carry a political agenda – Editorials – The Boston Globe.