Pennsylvania: Governor will veto voter I.D. bill
AP reports: Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday he'll veto a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls because he believes such a mandate is unconstitutional and would disenfranchise some of the state's most vulnerable residents.
People including nursing home residents and poorer citizens might not have proper ID and thus could lose their right to vote under the legislation, Rendell said.
"At a time in our nation's history when voter participation is dropping to alarming levels, the government should not be taking action that will turn away bona fide voters from our polls," Rendell, who made the announcement in a speech at the National Constitution Center, said in a statement.
The bill had cleared the Legislature on Wednesday mostly along party lines. Democrats generally opposed the measure, claiming it would lead to countless voter challenges and create long lines that would discourage participation; Republicans countered it would fight voter fraud by ensuring that a person can cast only one ballot in an election. -- NEPA News - NEPA News - 02/21/2006 - Rendell to veto bill that would require voter ID