US Dept. of Justice Evaluating Legality of Pennsylvania Voter ID Law
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The US Department of Justice says it is reviewing whether Pennsylvania's new voter photo ID law is in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
The Department of Justice is requesting information from state officials, including all documents and records that would support the Corbett administration's claim in March that "99 percent of Pennsylvania's eligible voters already have acceptable photo IDs" and a subsequent estimate earlier this month that 758,000 registered voters do not have adequate photo IDs for voting purposes (see related stories).
"At this point, all the Department of Justice is asking for is information from us," says Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, "which we will compile and provide to them, and we'll see what happens after that. But we believe, as we have all along, that our law is on solid legal footing."
Ruman says the Corbett administration will provide the information the Department of Justice has requested within the 30-day time period stipulated in its letter.
