boo hoo worry about something of merit.. its good we finally have voter id if it prevents just 1 fraud vote it has done its job i would like to see a voter iq test which alot of the protestors are lacking..seeing mayor panto there i wonder if he has used the ideas he brought back from his trip to israel , he said he would do so

I am so sick of these whiners. This law was passed many months ago, and there was plenty of time to get the word out on how to get proper identification and help people accomplish this. Voting is the right of its citizens, but there are laws, such as being registered at least one month in advance. If someone is even one day later than that, they can't vote. I made that exact mistake myself many years ago, but I blamed no one but myself. I registered anyway, even though I couldn't vote that November, and swore I would never miss an election again, and that is a promise I have since kept. Elections are invalid if the electorate is invalid. We need to insist that those voting are truly our own citizens, and each citizen is only counted once (and still living). This rule is no more stringent than rules to obtain a long list of other benefits and access to services. This is not too much to ask. What has happened in this country that so many people have this "victim" mentality? That is not what made us into a great nation. Everyone needs to take responsibility and do their part.

@Louis- your position that limiting the rights of an untold number of citizens in an effort to catch one person voting fraudulently is both rediculous and un-American.

@Joan- indeed, voting is a right. Any legislation that impacts that right should be highly scrutinized and properly vetted. It shouldn't be something that's rushed just to have it in place for an upcoming election because some people perceive the ability to comply as a simple task. Further, the lack of evidence of in person voter fraud, mixed with the large number of voters affected and the limitation on the states infrastructure to provide the proper ID to those affected should give all pause. The desire for those in favor to continue defending this legislation in light of those deficits comes off as partisan in nature and seems to reflect a clear bias that isn't grounded in the initial objection to voter fraud.

I am so embarrassed that a Mayor would not want to ensure a vote is not fraudulent. I guess our college entrance exams are all un-American. Yet, I would guess that the Mayor went to college. Does he remember having to show a picture ID to take his SAT test? They have made students do this for a long time. Are you suggesting that students should not be made to show an ID when they take the SAT or ACT exam? Going through hoops is what it feels like everytime I drive through Easton downtown....maybe I shouldn't when there are plenty of other places to spend my money that doesn't require such effort. Yes, I am too tired of the hoops I go through to spend $ in the downtown Easton area.

@anonymous- college entrants exams have no correlation to an individual's constitutionally garuanteed right to vote. Further, your point avoids the argument of how this law will impact those affected, the necessity of this legislation in face of the evidence of the lack of in-person voter fraud, and the underlying motivation of this legislation that seems to be missing in light of that evidence.

Anyone who states that this is not politically motivated is in denial. It was clearly stated and documented by the leader of the republican party in Pa that this will enable Romney to win this state. Your just choosing to close your eyes to the truth. They did the same during reconstruction in the 1800s, they amended the constitution 13, 14 and 15th amendments, and then they introduced laws to insure that blacks could not vote. Poll taxes and things like that, its the same old lie under a different cloak.

Of course, fraudulent votes are not fair and not right, however, this is a politically motivated move since it will now fully stop poorer, or older, non-driving voters from their American right to vote. This is much more about allowing the wealthier people to decide the fate of the poor than it is an innocent fight against the crime of voter fraud. In fact, a Republican politician in Pennsylvania was quoted as saying to the effect that a Romney win of the state was now inevitable due to this new law. BOY WAS HE HAPPY AND SMILING WHEN HE SAID THAT. We should be making sure that not just the "landed gentry" make the decisions for our countrymen. I am fully guaranteed to still be able to vote since I have a PA drivers license. Many of the old and the poor (who do exist as human beings AMERICANS, by the way) do not drive. Getting a picture ID at the 11th hour is not so easy. Some may not even find out about the need for picture id until they somehow manage to get to their polling location. Fighting this law is not "whining!" It is an act of patriotism and an effort to keep democracy for ALL the people

For those who think a sensible requirement that all voters be able to prove they are legitimate voters is politically motivated, I would submit that those who are protesting it are also politically motivated.

More than just a comment............How will this affect people who vote by ABSENTEE ballot??? Many of the shut-ins can vote by absentee ballot as they have in the past..........or has THAT changed too?????

Voter fraud doesn't exist? Right... and the Acorn people were "unjustly treated". Maybe if you didn't live a bitter, hated-filled life that shunned your friends you would have someone to take your keister over to the DMV. Am I the only one that finds members of the Big Government Party the ones against identification for everyone hypocritical?

News coverage for 65 protestors? Slow news day? This is not worthy of the time being taken by the court in hearing the suit against the voter id law.

The Democratic party must be concerned about all those tombstones that get to vote due to lax I.D. requirements not being able to rubber stamp Obama to a second term.

hummmm.. how do these poor non mobile people get to the polls to vote ? if they cannot get a photo id... there are people who are just ready to challange anything that makes sense .. why they do not argue about the real issues is something to wonder about

@James- The ACORN "scandal" is not an example of in-person voter fraud. Perhaps you could expand on why you use that as a reference. Further, denigrating those affected as hate-filled and isolated demonstrates a false stereotype and a clear bias on your part.

Uninformed HYPE. If you don't drive, there is a STATE I.D. Mr. Panto called it "jumping through hoops". He may want to read up on some of the LAWS that exist in his own state. If you are in a public place, basically outside of your home, and do not have a VALID Identification on your person, YOU can be fined for that. The Easton Police gave me a summons 10 years ago because I was a block away from a bar where there happend to be a fight. And because I had no I.D I received a summons in the mail. I took my valid I.D to the magistrate and he through out the "charge". It is INDEED racist to say that Black people or other "Urban" areas are not capable of obtaining their own PA Identification cards. THAT'S RACIST. Not making it mandatory to have one. Please, sit down Mr. Panto.

@Richard- please cite specific incidents where people who are deceased actually ended up casting a vote. It's not uncommon for registered voters to remain on the register after they pass. That doesn't mean that they voted, nor is it fraud. In many states, voting rolls are routinely purged of those who are deceased. Typically, this occurs with little issue, but one just need to observe what's going on in Texas to see how that process can be manipulated as well to favor one party over another. If everyone supporting this sort of legislation was really concerned about voter fraud, they'd be paying closer attention to what's actually occurring, and who's actually committing what looks like fraud by manipulating the system for what can only be deemed favoritism towards the GOP.

@Loius- I'm not sure how potential voter suppression prior to a presidential election isn't a real issue. I guess we should be more focused on blocking gay marriage, or the place of president Obama's birth, or how to give wealthy people more tax breaks under the false assumption that they'll create jobs, or how to insure everyone prays to one God. Yeah, that's what we should be focusing on. I mean, those are real issues right?

How exactly are you proving that the Democrats will suffer because of this law? Isn't it more American to assume that people on both sides of the fence would be affected. Sounds like many of you are quite prejudice against Democrats. Asssuing that they are not capable of sending in an absentee ballot or getting an ID. Every single time I have gone to the hospital for any tests within the last year, I have been REQUIRED to show an ID. I possibly could have fought it, if I were a criminal, but rather I understood as someone who has had their ID taken by a slug.
Did you take a poll of those without ID's? Are you saying that only Democrats believe that people should get paid for doing no work, while many are out there illegally cleaning houses and selling drugs or other "under the table" work, while others foot their ENTIRE bill for housing, medical, food and cell phone ?? Perhaps in school the teachers should give EVERYONE a "C" whether they have an A+ or never even show up or open their book. That is what the Democratic party is saying.
So how many students out there agree? Probably only the greedy hardworking A+ students right?? I bet the ones that don't even try would jump up and down and say " YES WE CAN!!!". I am proud of those who work hard even though they get constantly hated & taken advantage of by those who do not want to work or are blind.

need proof. people need to wake up. need proof. you can't just pass a law without proof. The PA repubs obviously passed this law as in their own word, to try to force a romney win. the only reason, since there is no proof. Show us proof of PA voter fraud then I'll be first to agree with it. While you are at it, show me proof of unicorns and leprechauns, and then complain about democrats wasting money, then pass a $11 million law that wasted tax dollars. oh those repubs

@anonymous- I never stated that the "rich" were the "problem". I stated that continuing tax breaks for the wealthy in hopes of creating jobs was a false premise. If that were the case, in light of the polarization of wealth, there should be limitless jobs. I will say, that is wasn't poor people who shook our economy to it's core and brought us to the Geat Recession. As for people being Christain, you can't denigrate the poor and also walk with Christ.

To your second point, the state ran a comparison of registered voters vs. those with a current drivers license. It showed some 750,000 people who were registered but didn't have the proper ID. Using that data, and the fact that you check of your party affiliation when you register, the state was able to determine that those affected were primarily democratic voters who were elderly, poor or minorities that tended to live in urban areas. Please feel free to educate me otherwise if that isn't actually the case.

wow amend if this country would have more boo hoo liberals ,like yourself in the building stages... the indians would have won

Regardless of your party affiliation: the law stinks. We are being asked to trust a state government on finding a fair way of protecting the election process. I must remind you that this state government is the same state government that has leaders of both political parties behind bars. It is also the same government that is absent the tie breaking vote on the state Supreme Court because one justice is being criminally tried for election violations. It is hard to trust anyone when the current leader of the state legislature Republicans boasts that the voter ID law will deliver the state to his party's candidate. And, for those crying Democrats, you need to be reminded that no delegate to your national convention could enter without showing photo ID. This whole exercise is a journey into the absurd. The Washington Post published an article today demonstrating that it took an individual over a four hour wait to get a photo ID at a PennDot center. That inconvenience is going to cost a number of voters-Republican or Democrat or Independent- their right to vote. I don't think anybody regardless of political affiliation wants to boast about that. The arguments over ID are silly. Who cares if the college boards require ID. The boards are loaded with cheating scandals that the IDs cannot prevent. Almost 1000 colleges no longer require SAT scores. Pennsylvania has the most corrupt government in the United States. This Voter ID law only confirms it.

@Louis- the depth of your insensitivity is appalling. That not with standing, perhaps you can explain how protecting citizen's rights to vote is a leftist mindset.

Cease your yapping! All this would be moot if only property-holding adult males were allowed to vote! Floant Respublicae!

Should have been "floreant". Homerus dormitat!

?

Attention Pennsylvania Seniors on Medicare and All Others Using Government Assistance!!!

This is what Mitt Romney thinks of you and ALL OF AMERICANS dependent on government support:

“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them.”

“..my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives”

Mitt Romney, speaking at fund-raising dinner, Spring 2012

Watch the video at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/mitt-romney-trashes-the-47-percent/2012/09/17/f3ef2b6e-0116-11e2-9367-4e1bafb958db_blog.html

Mitt Romney: He thinks you act like a VICTIM!

Mr. Mitt, I saw someone I know who has two jobs but still is way below poverty level and he was eating (gotta whisper here/being followed) food. That's right, food. And he was sitting inside a structure of some sort..efficiency apartment I think they call it. And get this, the structure had a door that swung open and swung closed. You gettin' this? Opens and closes. That's a luxury. So, structure, food, luxurious door! Now what's that tell you, Mitt? Poor people got more than they need, that’s what. Besides, anyone knows that poor people are poor cause they're dumb and lazy. Or dumb and addled. Or dumb and rattled. (In Delaware, on account of radon, it's dumb and raddled).
Anyway, Mitt, us rich folks gotta stick together. That's right, yours truly is rich. Made my money in Icelandic wool. Well, not right away, of course. It took me a few years to figure out that you don't eat the wool. Soon as I learned that wool made a better dinner jacket than it did dinner, my profits took off. You’re kind of in the business I’m in, I’d say. Wool-like, I mean. Pullin’ it over people’s eyes like you do.
So let Obama have the poor folks, Mitt. Let him have em all. We rich folks will shove you and your tense haircut square full of 90 degree angles into that oval office. A perfect fit. Then, someday long off, you’ll be able to sit on your front porch and recollect about the times when you had America…..

An absentee ballot requires only your social security #. Now, you are telling me that is a problem? Really? Use your energy to fight actual crime. Clean up the city litter and ugly graffiti. Let's use our time wisely and fight the real enemy. Come on, if someone doesn't have a social security # then they should NOT vote because they are most likely illegal and do not pay taxes. If they are too ignorant to know what their number is, then maybe they need to figure it out. ENough publicity is given to this subject now that nobody has an excuse. You can argue anything for JUST the sake of arguing.

@anonymous- since there is no evidence of in-person voter fraud there's no need for this legislation. That's the problem. There's no excuse for the law in the first place. If you're worried about fighting real crime, then you should realize how unnecessary this law is. Stating that those affected are just lazy or stupid or probably illegals who don't pay taxes just demonstrates your bias.

The only people worried about this law are unpatriotic Americans who would rather see their candidate win through the vote of illegal aliens and fraud than see another politician win cleanly.

I love the straw man argument Amend and others keep using- "Since there is no evidence of in-person voter fraud there's no need for this legislation." We have no evidence of anybody blowing up a nuclear power plant, but there's laws against that. We have no evidence of the Russians invading American soil, but there are rules and regulations in place should it ever happen. We have no evidence of a military coup taking over the White House and installing their own government, but we have laws against it.

Quit being whiny babies and get out there and try to get votes. If your man can't win fair and square, then he doesn't belong in office. Fair and square doesn't mean scores of convicted felons voting for him in Philly and Pittsburgh or fraudulent absentee ballots.... oh wait! There IS evidence of voter fraud in PA... imagine that.

@Ben- a straw argument is one based on a fallacy, such as the rampant existence of voter fraud. It is incumbent on those supporting this legislation to demonstrate it's existence. Are you implying that we should create laws on assumptions? Very well, I assume all persons named Ben are incapable of understanding the basic rights granted Americans, and as such, should have their rights diminished out of fear that they may spread their false wisdom. You can see how that can get messy, no?

As for winning based on fairness, it's the GOP who is engaging is practices that limit the voting tights in hope of reducing the democratic voter turn out under that false premise that massive voter fraud is occurring in the democrats favor, even tho there is no proof that such a thing is occurring. Talk about in American. The GOP is willing to disenfranchise potentially millions of voters in an effort to stop one or two voters who might be voting improperly. That's just to you. That's patriotic? Show me the scores of felons that will be casting votes. Show me the evidence that trumps the rights of law abiding Americans. Fair and square indeed.

@Ben- you mistake the nature of the debate. It is those who are supporting this legislation who have the burden of presenting proof that it is occurring. That's why you are the straw man. It is your defense of that fallacy, in light of the evidence, that is causing you to misrepresent those opposing it. You call them lazy and irresponsible, or even un American, when it is you who needs to present proof of your argument that voter fraud is occurring in such bombers as to illicit the need to enact voter ID and potential disenfrachise an untold number of citizens.

Ben Miller states, "P.S. I know what a straw man argument is, I have my BA and an honorary Doctorate. The primary fallacy in your argument is that because you don't see voter fraud".

I hope for his sake the Honorary wasn't in English (or spelling).

oh gosh oh gee oh golly amend our whole judicial system is geared to not prosecute one innocent person even if there are 100 guilty found innocent so if the voter id saves us from 1 fraud it works... and important issues?like i should have said you boohoo liberals can look in the mirror ... thats americas big problem besides an ahole president who says sorry to a bunch of savages killing americans