Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson postponed Pennsylvania's voter ID requirement on Tuesday. The judge ordered Pennsylvania's officials to not enforce the requirement until after the Nov. 6 presidential elections.
Simpson said he hopes that by Election Day, "the gap between the photo IDs issued and the estimated need will not be closed."
"Consequently, I am not still convinced in my predictive judgment that there will be no voter disenfranchisement arising out of the Commonwealth's implementation of a voter identification requirement for purposes of the upcoming election," he said.
Pennsylvania is one of nine states that have passed tough laws requiring photo ID to vote. According to report released last month by the Advancement Project, an estimated 16 percent of Latinos do not possess a requisite photo identification compared to six percent of nonHispanic whites.
The Commonwealth Court ruling allows poll workers to ask for a photo ID, but does not require one to vote. The court will examine the law further after the November election.
In Pennsylvania, 323,000 Latino citizens are of the voting age, making up 3.46 percent the state's electorate.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law Democracy Program Director Wendy Weiser said that she is pleased that the Court refused to allow politicians to manipulate the system for their own benefit by rushing through new voting requirements that would keep out legitimate voters.
"Today's decision is a clear victory for Pennsylvania voters and the cause of voting rights across the country," Wesier said. "As the Commonwealth Court ruled, implementing a sweeping new voter ID law so close to an election would prevent eligible citizens from voting and having their say in our democracy. Now, we must ensure voters are informed of their rights and poll workers are trained properly so no voter is turned away. "
Wesier said the United States is the leading democracy in the world, and its voting system should be free, fair, and accessible to all.
Latinos comprise more than 10 percent of the nation's eligible voters and approximately 8 percent of its registered voters.
In August, a special three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Washington rejected a controversial Texan law that would require voters to show photographic identification before casting ballots. The law would require voters to present one of six forms of photo ID before casting their ballots.
Nearly 24 million Latinos are eligible to vote.
Voter ID: Commonwealth Court Judge Simpson ruling, 10-02-12
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