Ruling expected this week on Pa. voter ID law

The judge considering Pennsylvania’s voter ID law in Harrisburg will hand down a decision this week.

Judge Robert Simpson has said he expects to deliver a verdict — but hasn’t promised whether he will rule on the constitutionality of the law or just the timing of its implementation.

When the ACLU and its allies filed suit in May to overturn Pennsylvania’s voter ID law, they also handed in a petition for an injunction. That would forestall changes until after November’s election.

Attorney Marian Schneider, an attorney with the Advancement Project, representing the plaintiffs challenging the law, says any decision handed down this week won’t be final. Both sides have said they will appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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“I hope it’s early in the week that we get the decision. I mean we’re all, everybody’s waiting. Everybody’s waiting to see what’s going to happen,” she said.

Schneider hopes the Supreme Court will expedite its decision so that voters have clarity on what will be required by September.

Other states with voter ID laws have delayed implementation for up to two years, which gave plenty of time for court challenges to run their course.

Meanwhile, the Voter ID Coalition is kicking off door-to-door and phone campaigns to educate the public on the law’s requirements.

This article was updated to reflect that the Advancement Project is working on behalf of all plaintiffs in the Voter ID suit.

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