Republican House Leader Mike Turzai comments on Wednesday's Commonwealth Court ruling upholding the new Voter ID law.
From the office of Mike Turzai.
PITTSBURGH (August 15, 2012) The following is a statement from Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny County) on the decision released today from Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson affirming Act 18, the latest in a series of election protection laws passed by the legislature since 2001. Act 18 became law in March.
Pennsylvania's voter ID requirements will provide election officials with an important tool to detect not only incidents of impersonation fraud, but double voting, voting by non-citizens and voting under a fictitious registration. The new law?s absentee voter ID requirements will help to deter absentee ballot fraud.
The integrity of each and every valid vote was upheld today. As the court said, the requirements of Act 18 will be implemented in a non-partisan, even-handed manner by Commonwealth agencies, and qualified voters will have their votes counted.
The many election reforms enacted, including voter ID, are aimed to ensure citizens and registered voters have the right to vote and have their vote counted. It?s about one person, one vote, and each instance of fraud dilutes legitimate votes. It is unfortunate, but there has been a history of voter fraud in Pennsylvania. The elections in the Commonwealth will be on a more level playing field thanks to voter ID and other recent election reforms.
"Voting is just too important to play games with," Walczak told reporters when talking about the State's reasons for implementing Act 18, a bill requiring all voters to show valid photo identification in order to vote.
Plaintiffs argued the law is unconstitutional, and the State argued it upholds the integrity of the voting process. ---Tara Leo Auchey Part - 1