Saturday, July 7, 2012
Civic groups urge delay in

Pennsylvania’s voter-ID law
By Bob Warner
Inquirer Staff Writer READER FEEDBACK

Pa. says 758,000-plus voters lack PennDOT photo ID
 
Groups appeal for delay on voter ID; Corbett refuses
 
Voters without PennDot ID: 9.2%
 
Voter ID law may hit more in Pennsylvania
Spurred by the disclosure that 758,000 registered voters do not have Pennsylvania drivers’ licenses, six civic groups called on Gov. Corbett on Friday to delay implementation of a new voter-ID requirement for at least a year. The administration immediately rejected the request.
“Our goal since the law was signed is to reach out to all voters to make them aware of the law so all eligible voters are able to get ID if needed and cast ballots in November,” said Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, in charge of the state election machinery.
Ruman said Corbett did not have authority on his own to delay the photo-ID requirement and would not ask the Republican-controlled legislature to change the law, passed and signed by the governor in March.  “The administration supports the law,” Ruman wrote in an e-mail, “because it protects the integrity of every vote and voter by giving Pennsylvania for the first time a reliable way to verify the identity of each voter at the polls. This will help detect and deter any illegal voting.”

Continue reading Civic Groups Urge Corbett to Delay Voter Restriction Law →