Pennsylvania judge upholds voter-ID law

[J. J.]

What the Democrats need to do is raise awareness and help people who need to get ID's. Like I said in the other thread, if it impacts elections, it will be only for a cycle or two. The motivations behind these laws is what I am more interested about. What problem was the legislature trying to solve or prevent? Cite?

The discovered several hundred problems, including voter impersonation:  http://www.phillyrecord.com/2012/07/schmidt-investigation-finds-illegal-voting-in-primary/

I though that the DA's Office called me about a petition that I signed (and in my case, the signature was valid).

There is also a fairly large voter ID effort with state representatives offices, community offices and local churches, including my church.

[J. J.]

Welcome to the state.  I was asked in the primary.

[J. J.]

Random question but do you attend a Black church, JJ?

Episcopalian, but the congregation is predominately black.  I also know people there from outside organizations. 

Though I switched parishes in 2009, my previous church was also predominately black.

[J. J.]

They basically are now focusing on making sure people have ID, according to the coordinator at my church.

I think the law is too draconian, but I do support showing proof of ID and residence.

[J. J.]

Gland you enjoyed it, Angus! 

I'm taking a friend, who is in town for the conference (chemical), out for dinner tomorrow. 

I'm also taking the precaution of adding my middle name to my voter registration.  I use it on my license.

[J. J.]

While I think that everyone eligible should vote, I strongly oppose both mandatory registration and voting.  I think those things are a matter of personal choice and further, it would be difficult to do.

It is perfectly fine to require some form of ID to vote, but this law is too limiting in what to use.

[J. J.]

Pennsylvania courts cite a law from 1869:

http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2012/09/voter-id-heads-to-the-state-supremes-tomorrow.php

From 1869:"rogues and strumpets do not nightly traverse the deserted highways of the farmer. Low inns, restaurants, sailors' boarding-houses and houses of ill fame do not abound in rural precincts, ready to pour out on election day their pestilent hordes."

Can anyone even translate that passage into modern English?

"Ganstas and hoes don't go creeping in the boondocks at night.  Hooker hotels, Checkers, crack houses and bordellos are in the city wards, sending out people to vote for a forty or a couple bucks."

Well, you asked.

[J. J.]

I added my middle name to my voter registration to correspond exactly to my license today.  They screwed up the spelling of first name, so I went into the office. 

What a crowd!  It was about a quarter black, a quarter Hispanic, a quarter a Asian, and a bit under a quarter white.  There were four of us, registering re-registering.  The state did do a purge since the last presidential as well.

[J. J.]

"Ganstas and hoes don't go creeping in the boondocks at night.  Hooker hotels, Checkers, crack houses and bordellos are in the city wards, sending out people to vote for a forty or a couple bucks."

Well done. 

It's easy; that's how I normally talk.

[J. J.]

The case was tossed back to the Commonwealth Court with instructions to rule on if there would be sufficient availability of identification. 

While there has been a wide (and nonpartisan) educational efforts, I have not seen any evidence of a major partisan registration drive.