Pa. voter ID law far from a done deal

November 14, 2012 12:11 am

By Timothy McNulty / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While the presidential race is over, Pennsylvania’s voter identification law and the fights over it live on.

The photo ID requirements suspended for last week’s election remain in place for the state’s May 21 primary, when Pittsburgh’s mayor and other local and judicial offices will be on the ballot, and legal challenges to the ID law remain on the docket, too. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson, who temporarily stayed enforcement of the requirements Oct. 2, will hold a status conference Dec. 13 on efforts to permanently block them.

“Our position is this law is not constitutional and cannot be constitutional without some legislative fixes,” said Witold Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.