PA: Governor Rendell Vetoes Voter ID Bill

[Wilms]

Pennsylvania: Governor Rendell Vetoes Voter ID Bill

By Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell

February 20, 2006

I am returning House Bill 1318 without my approval.

Elements of this bill will cause significant interference with the fundamental right to vote and violate the U. S. Constitution as well as Article I, Section 5 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which states: “Elections shall be free and equal; and no power civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.” I, therefore, must veto this legislation.

At a time of growing apathy and cynicism among our citizens regarding elections, I believe that the government should be doing everything it can to encourage greater participation in the electoral process, not discouraging participation by placing additional limitations on the right to cast a vote. Moreover, without compelling evidence of a problem with the current system of voter identification in Pennsylvania, I see no reason to enact laws that will result in voter confusion and disenfranchise legitimately registered voters. Beyond the basic constitutional threshold, House Bill 1318 unnecessarily requires every voter to provide identification before casting a vote in every primary and general election.

Some proponents of the bill claim that no one is actually being denied the right to vote – that voters are merely being asked to comply with a simple requirement meant to reduce the instances of voter fraud. They point to the various acceptable forms of identification that are listed in the bill as support for their defense that the provision is not an attempt to suppress voter turnout. Regardless of how long the list of acceptable forms of identification is, there are people who may not be in a position to produce any of them; people who live in a household where the lease and utility bills are in someone else’s name, people in nursing homes, and those who may have been temporarily displaced from their residences, to name just a few. As federal judge Harold Murphy very eloquently stated in a recent case discussing a similar bill enacted in Georgia, “For those citizens, the character and magnitude of their injury – the loss of the right to vote – is undeniably demoralizing and extreme, as those citizens are likely to have no other realistic or effective means of protecting their rights.”

Others have suggested that this voter identification provision is needed to reduce the instances of voter fraud in Pennsylvania. However, I have not seen any evidence of widespread voter impersonation in Pennsylvania that would justify imposing this additional burden on voters. Elizabeth Milner, the Chair of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, agrees. In her letter urging a veto, Ms. Milner says, “Show us the fraud. Proponents of House Bill 1318 have failed to document a single instance in which the outcome of a Pennsylvania election was affected by individuals posing as registered voters. Indeed, the National Commission on Election Reform found that there is no evidence that the fraudulent acts the voter ID provision seeks to address exists anywhere in the United States.”

snip

http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=957&Itemid=113

[kster]

1. K&R...nt

[Divine Discontent]

3. Thank you Gov. Rendell

what a man...

So proud of him for this, his point is exactly right - GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO HELP ENCOURAGE VOTING!





www.cafepress.com/deadeyerichard

[appleannie1]

2. Thank you

Gov. Rendell.

[autorank]

4. Highly recommended. See Gov. Rendell's memo to the Leg here.

GOV. RENDELL,D, PA VETOES VOTER ID LAW—UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x413801#413802

[Wilms]

5. Rendell Leads Challenger Swann 48 percent to 36 percent

Independent voters preferred Rendell over Swann, 49 percent to 31 percent. Rendell was more popular among Democrats, 74 percent of whom supported him, than Swann was among Republicans, who had 64 percent support. Rendell also scored higher with Republicans, at 22 percent, than Swann did with Democrats, at 15 percent.

Discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x478219

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. Thanks for this good news. K & R. n/t

[IronLionZion]

7. Yeah baby yeah! I am so glad we have a Dem governor

Oh man, voter ID is a Repub dream. You have no idea.

Even though the "latte liberals" drive around in Priuses and shop at Costco, the Dems that reliably win elections for us don't have ids and they don't have cars. I'm talking about the working class, inner city, elderly, minorities, and others. The people who reliably support Democrats because Republicans just don't give a shit. Come hell or high water, Republican false information, or beat downs by racist police, these folks will vote for Democrats because their lives depend on it. And Dems depend on them.

Oh man, if a Repuke was governor, this would have passed and the Dems would be set back like you can't even imagine.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. "no power...shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise..."

Those are good words! We need to put them in an Amendment to the US Constitution!

KICK

[iconoclastNYC]

9. Awesome.

I assume this guy is a Democrat?