Interesting point in an MSNBC article about the PA Voter ID law...

[Grown2Hate]

"In Pennsylvania, a state judge cleared the way for Pennsylvania’s voter ID law for November, ruling that it ultimately would not disenfranchise anybody since even those who came to the polls without an ID would have their votes counted if they signed an affidavit asserting their identity." (from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48874383/ns/us_news-christian_science_monitor/)

If this is true, doesn't this SIGNIFICANTLY curb the effect of that law? Can anyone refute this? This certainly makes me feel a LITTLE bit better about the PA situation.

[AlinPA]

1. That is a provisional ballot and people will have to go to the courthouse in their county to resolve

it. That is a a huge problem because there are so many discrepancies (e.g., middle initial on their ID, but not on the voter registration, etc.). Lots of old people won't go through the trouble and lines will be long.

[Cosmocat]

3. Provisional ballots are a major pain in the butt for the poll workers

time intensive to fill them out, and time intensive in counting them after the fact.

Also, as noted, if you have enough of them, they muck up the final tally.

Republicans are such childish douchebags ... they have NO IDEA the impact of this thing.

We are likely to look like friggen Florida in 99 because of this. It may not be that close and I think Obama wins pretty clearly, but it is going to tie up some of the local races pretty badly, I think.

And, it isn't just them there democrats who are going to get turned away at the polls.

Lots of life long, straight ticket R voters are going to get turned away at the polls.

But, no matter to the twits in Harrisburg.

Provisional ballots won't help most people. As you noted, you have to get to to the elections office to verify, and it is only for a week or two, and if you can't get the new SS card or whatever you need to get the ID before the election you aren't likely to get it turned around that quick after the fact, either.

[AlinPA]

5. People will have only six days to reconcile the provisional ballot.

[Cosmocat]

10. OK

OK

[rfranklin]

2. But aren't those "provisional votes?"

Subject to verifification at a later date and usually tossed into the wastebin since the election is decided before anyone gets around to looking at them.

[modrepub]

4. Not sure it matters

the PA Supreme Court may rule on this before Nov but there are a couple of things to keep in mind here. First, there's been a lot of talk about abortion this election cycle, more so than I've ever heard. The key voters for the repubs are in the 4 counties surrounding Philly. There are more votes in these counties than Philly itself. I fully expect lots of repub women in these counties to be motivated to vote and will let you guess who they will likely be voting for. Second, there are over 100,000 registered repubs in Philadelphia of which some will be disenfranchised. While 100,000 votes is small compared to the dems in the county there are more repubs in Philly than probably one third of the counties in PA so this is a major hit in my mind.

To be honest the whole repub argument rests on a fallacy that the Dems are stuffing the ballot boxes and tipping statewide elections. This is coming from people who've never been to Philly and have no idea how many people live in the city. I'd guess there are more people voting in some of the U Penn and Drexel dorms than vote in some of the counties in this state.

[AlinPA]

6. The PA Supreme Court is split 3 Democrats to 3 Republicans. A tie is a loss for us. (BTW, the

7th judge (Melvin-R) has been suspended because she has been indicted for illegal campaign work by her office and her sister Jane Orie (R) who is in jail for the same offense.)

[TroyD]

9. Why is the Court composed of 6 judges?

Aren't courts supposed to be composed of odd numbers so that ties are avoided?

[AlinPA]

11. Seventh judge has been suspended. See my post above.

[LiberalFighter]

7. Either the judge is clueless about the voting process

or the judge is crooked and is in on it with the Republicans.

[meow2u3]

8. The judge is crooked

He's a ex-Dem turned rethug who went to the dark side. He didn't even bother to rule on the merits; he just rubber stamped the poll tax voter suppression law.