Penn. Voter ID Law to Lower Courts

After much controversy and deliberation, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a new voter I.D. law will be sent back to a lower court for further deliberation. The law, which is championed by Republicans, would require each voter in the state to show a valid photo I.D.—a mandate that opponents say will make it harder for the elderly, disabled, poor, and young to vote. In their decision Tuesday, the six justices expressed concern that many voters would not be able to secure required identification in time for November’s election. “There is ample evidence of disarray in the record, and I would not allow chaos to begat chaos,” Justice Debra McCloskey Todd wrote. The 4–2 decision sends the case back to a Commonwealth Court for review, where a decision will be made by Oct. 2.