Allegheny County Elections Board Votes To Challenge Voter ID Law
The vote to sue was strictly along party lines.
By a 2-1 vote, Allegheny County’s election board has decided to file a lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s new Voter Identification law.
The two Democrats, board chairman John DeFazio and county Executive Rich Fitzgerald, voted to sue, while Republican Heather Heidelbaugh voted against the measure.
The results of the vote were hardly surprising.
Sponsored by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, the law requires voters to show photo identification before they vote at the polls. After a dry run in the April primary, it is scheduled to take effect for the Nov. 6 general election.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am absolutely opposed to the Voter ID law, but this meeting is about something different entirely,” said DeFazio. “Beyond the unfunded mandates being put on the county for implementation of this law, there are other requirements that are being put on the county that are inappropriate and unlawful.”
In a statement released prior to today’s vote, Allegheny County Council’s Republican Caucus issued a highly critical statement of the Democrat’s challenge.
“It’s a dangerous precedent when special interests and party politics come into play regarding elections,” said councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park. “We have all taken an oath to obey the laws and constitution and I would ask all elected officials to get serious about working on real issues that affect our collective taxpayers.”
The new Voter ID Act requires each elector who appears to vote to first present proof of identification and requires that local election officials verify the proof of identification.
“There is nothing outlandish or outrageous concerning having an ID. It’s hard to believe that having something so fundamental and simply following law (that of having an ID to vote) would cause Allegheny County Democratic officials so much angst,” said councilwoman Jan Rea, R-McCandless. “Voter Identification to prevent fraud is a simple process. Allegheny County should be fully prepared to implement this new law.”
Allegheny County controller Chelsa Wagner argued on Friday that the law violates the Pennsylvania Constitution and federal laws guaranteeing free and equal access to the polls while placing an unfunded mandate on county taxpayers.
“No elected official in our democracy should prevent citizens from voting,” Wagner said in a statement on the Allegheny County website. “We will not stand for this in Allegheny County, and we will not stand for this in Pennsylvania—our nation’s birthplace.
Heidelbaugh said the county’s lawsuit would ultimately amount in a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.
“The ACLU has already filed such a lawsuit which will be tried shortly in Harrisburg,” she said. “The ACLU has some fine lawyers and they don't need Allegheny County to file another lawsuit over the same issue. Perhaps the individuals promoting this lawsuit could just personally donate to the ACLU to cover the cost of their lawsuit and we can keep precious Allegheny county dollars at home."
Do you agree with Allegheny County's decision to challenge the new voter identification law? Tell us in comments below.
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9:39 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Good for Allegheny County, though I have to ask myself why this is such a clearly defined partisan issue. In my mind it serves as evidence that those for or against are either concerned with this law for reasons other than the law, or have hidden motivations for supporting or fighting against the law. It is a well known fact that the poor and minorities are less likely to have a state issued photo i.d., and also vote almost exclusively democrat. Duh.
Art Wegweiser
11:44 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Many in the GOP/Tea Party gang have made it quite clear that their first priority is to get rid of Obama. The welfare of the country or anything else comes later. Then the evil Karl Rove and slime Koch brothers can have everything their way.
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9:39 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
i.e.: it is an unnecessary measure used to to bar those from voting against the republican party.
Janet Butler
10:14 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
It is a simple way to prevent voter fraud. So, obviously that upsets liberals that we might prevent fraud in our elections!!?? There is every means available for anyone who needs a photo i.d. That is a lame excuse that the left uses. For every excuse you have that someone cannot get a photo i.d., I will give you the solution. The state of Georgia offered to come and pick up anyone who needed a photo i.d. after they passed this law; and had a handful of people call out of the entire state!!! It's a non-issue. If someone needs a ride to do something they WANT to do, it's never a problem. And election officials here are already setting up to go into nursing homes, retirement homes, etc... to give the elderly a chance to get a photo i.d., but they all probably have one, as this used to be the law everywhere back in the day!
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9:01 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I can understand your feelings there Janet, and I admit to feeling almost a similar way at some point, but then I did (and have been doing) some serious research. So let me address a few points briefly. 1. the 1rst photo id requirement was in 2002 (i could be off by a year or two). this was certainly not the law everywhere back in any day. the history of voter requirements is so grim that the federal govnt has restrictions involving this sort of thing to this day. 2. i have yet to find any evidence of significant illegal immigrant voting (you wont either). why? well, why would an illegal immigrant risk deportation/jail for 1 inconsequential vote? 3. there is significant evidence from bipartisan groups (new york university of law) that affects about 11% of the voting population of which only maybe a 3rd will rectify for the sake of voting (voting pop, so they were registered to vote b4 this law).
So let's put the left v right argument aside. Trust me, I don't care about any of that personally and have no motivation to deceive you here. Let's just look at logic. the issue is not whether someone can get an id, it is whether someone _will_ get an id. It is a hassle and Americans are lazy and apathetic towards voting as it is. Only 40% of our population even votes as is.
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9:17 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
(cont from previous) *that 'this law' affects 11% of the voting pop...
Remember, that politicians are smarter than us. They are educated, and keeping their jobs is most important to them. They have also been playing this game a long time.
Now, what Richard Cook is really pointing out here is that this has become a partisan issue.
So if my research is correct (and if logic is in fact...logical), illegal immigrants most likely are not rushing to the polls & there is nothing but empty rhetoric stating that they are at all, 11% of voters are not going to bother voting if they have to get a new ID (even I _hate_ renewing my license and have been penalized for not being up to date), politicians want their jobs, the ppl affected by this law are pretty much all registered democrats (seriously...all), and republicans are the only ones pushing for this pretty unnecessary law. voter fraud is real...like with dead people...but not here. It is simply a means of dissuading voters. I dont care about left v right, dem v republican, racist or not, or illegal immigration laws (as far this issue is concerned).
BTW. Women vote more than men by about 2-5%, and the majority of women vote democrat (reason does not matter). Which party is really hurting with women right now (reason does not matter)? Which party stands to gain from even as small as a 2-5% gain in the polls? This is simple math and political games (that i admit to loving).
Art Wegweiser
11:40 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sorry Janet but the evidence clearly indicates that voter fraud is extremely rare - except perhaps in Florida where manipulation and the trained seals of the Supreme Court gave us an idiot President which the majority did not want and has brought us to the edge of disaster with his stupid wars. This is and continues to be a disgraceful attempt by the GOP to exclude those who might vote against them. A fine democracy we have become.