Kathleen Kane on Voter ID

Kathleen Kane today called on the Corbett Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to remove roadblocks to efforts determining whether Pennsylvania’s new Voter ID law violates voters’ constitutional rights.

“The U.S. Attorney General is authorized under the Voting Rights Act to investigate whether political processes discriminate against the voting rights of minorities,” Kane said. “Rather than stonewalling, Pennsylvania should be making every effort to fulfill the Department of Justice’s request to ensure that no Pennsylvanians are disenfranchised by this law.”

It was reported earlier this week that the Corbett Administration is resisting a July 23, 2012 request of the Department of Justice to compile and send information about the Voter ID law as part of the Department’s examination into whether the new law is discriminatory.

“The Corbett Administration claims that DOJ does not have authority to seek this information. That argument is just not legall

y valid.” Kane added. “Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race or color, requires examination of the ‘totality of circumstances’ in determining whether a violation has occurred. This request for information to determine the totality of the circumstances is a reasonable and responsible inquiry by DOJ. “The Administration should stop playing politics and comply.”

Kane says Corbett impeding review of voter ID law

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/22/4748888/kane-says-corbett-impeding-review.html#storylink=cpy