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Pa. Judge Weighing Arguments To Overturn State's Voter ID Law

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The trial in the case challenging Pennsylvania's voter ID law wrapped up today with closing arguments before a Commonwealth Court judge.

In her closing argument, Jennifer Clarke of Philadelphia's Public Interest Law Center said that even the Commonwealth's own data show there are still hundreds of thousands of people without acceptable ID to vote.

Even though the numbers are not the same, Clarke said afterward, "I think that the most important thing is that their own estimates are in the same order of magnitude."

Not so, said Alicia Hickok, an attorney representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

"They are playing fast and loose with the numbers," Hickok says.   "There are not hundreds of thousands of people who lack acceptable ID under Act 18."

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth's attorneys have indicated they would agree to another "soft rollout" in November, in which voters are asked to produce ID but not be prevented from voting if they don't have one (see related story).

However, lawyers challenging the law say that won't be good enough. The judge has indicated he may rule on a preliminary injunction later this month.

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