Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson has denied our motion for a preliminary injunction, allowing, at least for now, the law to remain in effect. Despite testimony from over a dozen witnesses and state officials to the contrary, Judge Simpson stated in his opinion that he did not believe “that any qualified elector need be disenfranchised” by the law.
But the fight is not over. The Law Center and our partners at the PA-ACLU, the Advancement Project and Arnold & Porter are filing an appeal to the Supreme Court and asking the Court to put the case on a fast track in order to ensure that the over one million Pennsylvanians who do not have the ID required by the law – including women like Viviette Applewhite, Wilola Lee, and Laila Stones and Ana Gonzalez – are not deprived of their Constitutional right to help shape their future.
“The determined men and women who came to court to describe their love of this country because we can all participate through the ballot box will simply have to wait for another day and another court to vindicate this most cherished of all rights,” says Law Center Executive Director Jennifer Clarke.
We look forward to a prompt resolution of the appeal by the Supreme Court. However, we strongly encourage anyone who does not have the ID required by the law to make every attempt to obtain it. You can find help and information on how to get the ID you’ll need here.
We thank the PA-ACLU, the Advancement Project, and Arnold & Porter for their outstanding work and continued commitment.
