Old white men trying to make sure that old white men get back in charge

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson, presiding over the case challenging the PA Voter ID law, has refused to grant an injunction to stop the law from being enforced. In an article on Philly.com, his 70 page decision is quoted,

"Smpson said plaintiffs did not establish that "disenfranchisement was immediate or inevitable."

He also said plaintiffs did not prove that denying an injunction would cause "greater injury," and instead noted issuing one now would interfere with election machinery now in motion.

Simpson said the plaintiffs' lawyers "did an excellent job of 'putting a face' to this burdened by the voter ID requirement. "At the end of the day, however, I do not have the luxury of deciding this issue based on my sympathy for the witnesses or my esteem for counsel. Rather, I must analyze the law, and apply it . . . " he wrote."

This ruling comes despite the fact that Pennsylvania Republican House Leader Mike Turzai has publicly admitted that voter identification efforts are meant to suppress Democratic votes in this year’s election and that only 13 cases of in-person voter fraud have been prosecuted in PA in the last 10 years.

The article also quotes one of the Plaintiffs in the case, 93 year-old Viviette Applewhite, as saying,"I just can't believe it ..." Too many people have fought for the right to vote to have it taken away like this. All I want is to be able to vote this November like I always have. This law is just ridiculous."