A judge has stopped Pennsylvania’s voter identification law, one of the most restrictive in the country, from going into effect on Election Day. Are voter ID laws racist These laws disproportionately impact Blacks and Latinos, as well as elderly Americans and people with disabilities.
Many observers have said these laws are the 21st century version of Jim Crow. There is a likelihood the Supreme Court eventually will rule on the legality of these laws, which now exist in some form in 30 states and have become more prevalent in the last two years in states with Republican-dominated legislatures.
“Fortunately, the Justice Department, courts, and voters have blocked or blunted many of these laws. Many, but not all. And those who would curb the franchise are fiercely fighting in court, going so far as to insist that the Voting Rights Act is in fact unconstitutional,” writes voter-ID-law expert and Brennan Center President Michael Waldman in a comprehensive study done. Read more about the impact and racial targeting of voter ID laws.
