State legislators passed the law before the 2012 presidential election, but a ruling by a former Northampton County judge put it on hold.
Local Democrats hailed a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge's decision earlier today to strike down the state's controversial voter ID law.
In a 103-page ruling, Judge Bernard McGinley ruled that requiring citizens to present a photo identification card in order to vote placed an unreasonable burden on Pennsylvanians' Constitutional rights.
"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 decision.
While the matter is expected to be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Democrats across the state have reveled in the ruling, saying it was a concerted effort by Republicans to suppress the vote in the 2012 presidential election. Seniors, minorities and other Democratic-leaning groups would have been the voters most harshly affected, they charged.
Walt Garvin, the chairman of the Northampton County Democratic Committee, said the law was based on an intellectually disingenuous argument -- that the law would combat voter fraud. Supporters of the law, however, could not provide examples of cases with voter impersonation.
"We should be encouraging more people to vote, not fewer. Thank goodness the courts agreed," he said.
Parties respond
"The photo ID requirement would have similarly tamped down voter turnout – having the same net effect as the 'poll taxes' used to disenfranchise voters in the old South. Pennsylvania hasn't witnessed such a blatant, craven attempt to inappropriately influence elections since poll taxes were sent packing," he said.
"The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians support a way to protect their right to vote and combat voter fraud. While I am extremely disappointed with today’s decision, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania will continue to serve as a leading advocate for policies that ensure a fair right to vote for all Pennsylvanians," said Rob Gleason, chairman of the state Republican party, in a news release.
At the polls
In the general and primary elections since then, poll workers have been instructed to ask voters for photo identification, but they did not need to produce any, said Timothy Benyo, Lehigh County's chief clerk of registration and elections, and Dee Rumsey, Northampton County registrar.
While Benyo said Lehigh County did not have any issues with the law in practice, Rumsey said poll workers complained it caused unnecessary backups as voters fumbled through purses or pockets for their IDs. Other voters complained the law infringed on their privacy and elected not to vote all together.
"Some people just felt it was too much," she said.