Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley, a Democrat, says the requirement that was the centerpiece of Pennsylvania's embattled 2012 voter identification law places an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote.
A state judge has struck down the law requiring Pennsylvania's voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley said the requirement that was the centerpiece of Pennsylvania's embattled 2012 voter identification law places an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote.
“Voting laws are designed to assure a free and fair election; the Voter ID Law does not further this goal,” McGinley, a Democrat, wrote in his 103-page ruling.
A spokesman for Gov. Tom Corbett did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyer Witold J. Walczak of the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped lead the legal challenge, said “the act was plainly revealed to be nothing more than a voter suppression tool.”
The decision paves the way for an expected appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Republicans approved the law over the protests of Democrats.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic leaders charged that the law was a cynical attempt by Republicans to hold down balloting by seniors, minorities and other Democratic-leaning groups in the last presidential election. Republicans called it an election-security measure, but administration officials acknowledged that they knew of no examples of voter impersonation.
The legislation was approved during the presidential election campaign at a time other GOP-led states also were tightening their voting requirements — setting off a partisan clash that continued through Election Day.
The court has barred enforcement of the law since the 2012 general election.
During a 12-day trial this summer, plaintiffs said hundreds of thousands of voters lacked acceptable IDs and the inconvenience of getting a photo ID might discourage some from voting. State officials insisted there were ample opportunities for voters to get a valid ID if they had none.
The issue was initially heard by Judge Robert Simpson, a former Northampton County judge who is a Republican.