Closing arguments over Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law in court Thursday. The law was passed early last year but has yet to be enforced because of these legal proceedings. The big news today if the judge agrees to it, the Department of State agreed to a soft roll out of the Voter ID Law in November. Which means you`ll be asked for an ID but won’t be required to show it. The ACLU contends that the Voter ID Law unnecessarily burdens the right to vote.
“ The law on it’s face deprives people of the right to vote because you have to go to PENNDOT and they’re only 71 locations. Also as the law has been applied has resulted in a lot of burden an chaos for people,” says Jennifer Clarke , Ex. Director of Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
The Department of State says they are doing everything they can to get a person who wants to vote an ID.
“ I believe that anybody that wants ID can get it and I believe the department of state is fully committed to having people vote and part of having people vote is getting people ID,” Alicia Hickok of Drinkler Biddle and Reeds , representing the Department of State
One source of contention was just how many disenfranchised voters are there. The ACLU says its hundreds of thousands. The Department of State doesn’t agree.
“ They’re playing fast and loose with the numbers there are not hundreds of thousands of people who lack acceptable ID under Act 18, “ says Hickock
The judge did not make a decision today. The Department of State says at a minimum it may take up to 60 days for a decision to come down.