The Pennsylvania Voter ID laws is just one zombie that's having a hard time dying:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/...
The Pennsylvania Department of State has launched a $1 million ad campaign to publicize the state’s controversial voter ID law, even though the law’s fate remains in limbo.
“We believe the law will eventually be upheld by the courts, so we encourage folks who don’t have an ID to get one,” Department of State spokesman Ron Ruman said.
The $1 million campaign, featuring TV, radio, print and online ads, draws from a $2 million pot the state set aside in the 2013-14 budget for voter education purposes.
It’s the first time state dollars are being spent on such ads. Last year the state ran a similar “Show it” ad campaign using $5 million in federal funds. - Philly Burbs, 10/11/13
Democrats have been calling out the misleading ad campaign and State Senator and congressional candidate, Daylin Leach (D. PA-13), had this to say:
http://www.philly.com/...
Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery), who is running for Congress, said it was just the latest effort by the Corbett administration to suppress the Democratic vote.
"When speaking of voter turnout in Philadelphia he urged his supporters to "keep it down." When trying to rig the Electoral College he complained that voters in Philadelphia had "too much influence" in elections, and he supported among the most aggressive voter-suppression bills in the nation," Leach said. "So we should be saddened, but not surprised when we see the administration continue to try to scare people who don't vote the right way from voting." - Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/10/13
Leach and his Democratic colleagues are absolutely right in calling out the misleading ad campaign. Especially since even officials who favored the voter ID laws are realizing their are some serious problems:
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/...
Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law is stuck in limbo, and most experts on the issue don’t see the courts sorting it out, completely, within the next year or two. While we’re waiting, though, it would help everyone to know that the judge who wrote the majority opinion upholding the nation’s first voter ID law, 7th Circuit Judge Richard Posner, recently admitted in a new book that he was wrong and did not fully understand the ramifications of U.S. voter identification laws. He spoke with the Huffington Post about it:
In an interview with Huffington Post Live’s Mike Sacks on Friday, however, Judge Posner said he made a mistake in the voter ID case, pointing to the fact that there was too little evidence of the harms voter ID would inflict at the time he handed down his decision. “[T]he problem,” Posner explained, “is that there hadn’t been that much activity with voter identification.” He blames his erroneous decision on the fact that the evidence presented to him at the time didn’t provide “strong indications that requiring additional voter identification would actually disfranchise people entitled to vote.”
Of course, now we know better. Studies have shown that Voter ID laws may disenfranchise registered voters from casting a ballot even though the odds of fraud occurring on Election Day—and by a voter, no less—are virtually non-existent. One study, performed by the AFL-CIO, found more than 30,000 Pennsylvanians may have stayed home during the November 2012 election due to confusion over the state law, which was actually not in place during the election. - Philadelphia Weekly, 10/15/13
Leach has long been outspoken critic of the voter ID laws. Watch him take on state House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R. PA):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Over the weekend, Turzai addressed the Republican State Committee and appeared to admit that, contrary to popular Republican claims, voter ID efforts were about more than simply combatting alleged voter fraud.
"Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation -- abortion facility regulations -- in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done," Turzai said, drawing ringing applause from the group.
Republican officials in Pennsylvania have responded to the resulting criticism, saying that Turzai was simply arguing that voter ID laws produced a "fairer playing field," but state Democrats like Leach aren't buying it.
Leach said that explanation does “not pass the laugh test.” He noted voter fraud is virtually nonexistent in Pennsylvania and the United States and ended his opening statements with this burn: “If you have to stop people voting to win elections, your ideas suck.” - Huffington Post, 6/27/13
Leach is running for Rep. Allyson Schwartz's (D. PA-13) as she pursue her bid for Governor next year. Leach is running in a solid blue district but in a crowded primary. Lets help Pennsylvania's Liberal Lion win his primary so he can continue to protect the right to vote:
http://votedaylin.com/