Justice Department probes Pennsylvania voter ID law

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/justice-department-probes-pennsylvania-voter-id-law-225602771.html?_esi=1

Reuters – 6 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Department of Justice is investigating whether Pennsylvania's new voter identification law discriminates against minorities, according to a letter released on Monday.

In a step toward a possible federal lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department sent a letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele asking for data on the state's registered voters.

Passed in 1965 during the peak of the civil rights era, the Voting Rights Act bans rules that make it more difficult for minorities to vote.

The Justice Department will analyze the Pennsylvania data to determine if voters who lack proper ID under the new law are disproportionally black or Hispanic.

Pennsylvania's law will be challenged this week in state court by civil rights groups that say the law makes it too difficult for the general public to vote. If the law is upheld, a federal lawsuit alleging discrimination may follow.

Pennsylvania is one of 11 states to pass voter ID laws since 2010. The Republican-controlled state legislature said requiring voters to present ID at the polls will prevent fraud, while opponents say the law targets minority and elderly voters. The two groups vote mostly Democratic and are less likely to have valid ID.

The Justice Department has brought Voting Rights Act challenges against several other states for their voter ID laws. Lawsuits from Texas and South Carolina are pending.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Glad to see the racist Eric Holder doing his job in keeping the bullying and fraud alive in PA.

[justashooter 430]

speaking as a pennsylvanian, this law is long overdue, was passed by due process, implemented in a sensitive manner, and accomodations have been made.

for 6 months voters have been able to obtain a state issued ID card for free, just by showing up and saying that they were broke. this has been widely publicised. busses have been provided for transportation to DMV centers. what more can you ask? that people actually participate.

thank god that this year the democrats won't be able to "vote early, vote repeatedly". penna might actually go red this year.