Pennsylvania: Witnesses: PennDot can't handle voter-ID demands | Philadelphia Inquirer

PennDot offices throughout the state seem ill-equipped to handle the expected demands of voters seeking state-issued identification cards, according to witnesses testifying Tuesday in Commonwealth Court. In recent visits to the Department of Transportation’s offices, the witnesses said, they found long lines, short hours, and misinformed clerks, which made obtaining voter identification cumbersome, and in some cases impossible, for those who don’t have supporting documentation. Lisa Gray of Chadds Ford said she was caught in a Catch-22 situation. She does not drive because of a psychological disability and therefore has no license – and she was born in Germany. To get her birth certificate from the U.S. government, she needs a photo ID. Gray said she had exercised her right to vote for 35 years. “I vote because it’s important to me to make my voice heard,” Gray testified. “I may now be prevented by clerical stumbling blocks.”
The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups sued the state to block the new law requiring that Pennsylvanians show photo identification at the polls. Backers of the law contend it is needed to prevent voter fraud; its challengers argue the law will disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters who do not have easy access to identification.
“There is a burden associated with this law and a burden on a fundamental right is unconstitutional,” said Marian Schneider, a lawyer with the Advancement Project, a civil-rights group. Lawyers are seeking an injunction ahead of the Nov. 6 election when the law, passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, is to take effect.
Full Article: Witnesses: PennDot can’t handle voter-ID demands.