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Photo ID Ruling In Pennsylvania Underscores Democrats' Victory

Paresh Dave |
October 2, 2012 | 8:59 a.m. PDT

Executive Director

A judge's ruling Wednesday blocking enforcement of a new law requiring Pennsylvania voters to show up at the polls with photo identification is likely to further cement President Barack Obama's victory in the state.

Mitt Romney has long abandoned plans to carry the state, and Democrats greeted the ruling with celebration because it would be many low-income voters without IDs that they feared might be turned away from voting.

The judge wrote in his ruling, “I expected more photo IDs to have been issued by this time. For this reason, I accept Petitioners’ argument that in the remaining five weeks before the general election, the gap between the photo IDs issued and the estimated need will not be closed.”

About 91 percent of registered voters have acceptable ID cards, state officials said.

But the judge said the law should go into effect in future elections.

"I reject the underlying assertion that the offending activity is the request to produce photo ID; instead, I conclude that the salient offending conduct is voter disenfranchisement," he said.

ALSO SEE: With New Voter ID Laws, More Than Just Americans' Rights At Risk

Either side could take the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Eleven states now have photo ID laws in place for the Nov. 6 presidential election, including closely watched rules in Mississippi, Texas and South Carolina.

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