If the folks without proper ID were mostly Republicans, I don't think Democrats would have any issue with the Voter ID laws.
Just my humble opinion.

that's correct...because this law is meant to garner more votes for Republicans, or you might say less votes for Democrats.

My wife has always signed her name and used just a middle initial. The state police examiner back in 1984 when we moved here made her use her whole middle name. Does this mean she cannot vote. TSA accepts the license with the middle name even when she does not use the initial on her ticket. Most airlines cannot put the Jr. after my name even though it is is on my ID. Also all passports spell out the middle name, my voter registration only has an initial which is how most people sign their names. Those this mean all people who use a passport for ID cannot vote. I will use my passport just to make a stick and a possilbe civil rights case about losing my right to vote. Oh and I am a registered Republican we need to stop the police state "ver(were) are your papers?"

I just got off the phone with the Bucks County Board of Elections and they said the story is so wrong it is going to cause a lot of problems. They can accept substantially common names such as a middle initial, a missing middle initial, Frank instead of Francis etc. However there are other issues read the article in Sundays Philadelphia Inquirer about a lawyer who does not drive was a D.A. but has an error in the spelling of her name an cannot get a social security card without an I.D. to make the correction. It is a real cluster F**K

So...you have to show ID to get into a rated R movie, purchase alcohol, purchase a car, etc. But voting...eh we will take your word for it?! I don't think so. Republicans support voter ID because we have nothing to hide.

Why does this Voter ID law just affect Democrats? Why are they the only ones without ID's? This all seems to be much ado about nothing. If you are Democrat or Replican, get a valid ID. My goodness, how do the people get Food Stamps, Welfare, Medicare, etc., without proper and valid I.D?

This law is an absolute joke and a power grab by the GOP. Let's hope Commonwealth Court sees this and overturns this law.

The ID will only prevent one type of fraud - in-person misrepresentation, Know how many cases of that we've seen in PA? 0.00 Oh, I'm sure there are tons of illegals chomping at the bit to vote illegally, risking deportation or imprisonment:) However, at a time when folks are out of work and the economy is still in recovery, does it make sense to spend millions to enforce a law which, as Mike Turzai says, will hand PA to Mitt Romney? It's a costly solution to a nonexistent problem. It is unconstitutional. It is an embarassment.

I am not against voter ID if it is a National not State mandate. Not fair for someone to be "allowed" to vote without ID in one state, but needs ID to vote in another. If someone needs to pay to get a form of ID, as some seniors who don't drive, then that is akin to a poll tax and is unconstitutional via the 24th Amendment! As it stands now, I believe this law in PA is unconstitutional!

By the way you do not need an id to get an absentee ballet which is where the fraud issue really exists.

If the government A) Made it EASY to get an ID and B) Made it FREE then this MIGHT be ok, if they also didn't throw this together primarily in SWING STATES and oh yeah A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION. Since none of these things are true, it smells fishy to me. Republicans aren't trying to do what's right, they're trying to eek any advantage they can to win the election. If you don't see that then there's something really wrong with your head.

Why didn't the legislators grandfather in all the current registered voters and let the new voters get the proper ID. This would solve all the near-term panic and cost,

What is the big deal? You have to show photo ID for some purchases with a credit card, at the airport, at the doctor's office and many other venues. The Bucks county Commisioner can get her voter registration updated to match her drivers license, passport and LCB card (LOL remember them?). I don't care what party you are from, I would think Americans would be happy to have a voter ID requirement to keep the elections on the up and up and keep the people who try to defraud the system from voting illegally and vote more than once. Why is it that Democrats are fighting this? Do they encourage illegal voting?? I think everyone from every political party or independents would be thrilled to have this requirement in place!

Robert - you can get a free ID if you need one for voting - Here's the link on how to get it: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/voter/voteridlaw.shtml. I'm not sure why everyone is upset, you need an ID for just about everything of little importance, so why wouldn't you want to show ID for something that can change the course of history? As for absentee ballots and no ID, I think that should be the next thing that they go after.

I do not vote party lines, I vote issues and this to me is a no brainer, showing ID does not take anyone's right or privilege to vote as a citizen. All the more it not being shopping or traveling (other than for national security) that we should prove we are American citizens exercising our constitutional right and privilege to vote. And yes, there is proof of voter fraud, otherwise they wouldn't institute it. Voter ID does not benefit the Republicans, or any other party, it makes it more accurate and responsible voter group. People have to register to vote, they have since I have been voting and no one complains a bout that. You have to vote in a specific voting place, you just can't walk off the street and vote anywhere you want. You have to have some parameters. I only see Democrats complaining about this. They have given plenty of notice that they were going to implement this. I gladly showed my ID when I voted in the primaries.

Most proper, upstanding people have a form of ID that is acceptable. John Wayne is credited with saying "Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid." Trying to get through day-to-day life without ID is just plain stupid, as is defending the position that requiring ID to vote gives one political party an advantage over another. That is, unless one party tends to attract more stupid people than the other....

"Most proper, upstanding people have a form of ID that is acceptable."

Apparently not. Depending on who you believe, anywhere from 400K to 1MM legitimate PA voters don't have the required ID. That is at least 400K who may have their right to vote denied.

Try pulling your head out of your keister and realizing everyone not everyone is required to live as you do. Someone not choosing to have "proper ID" by your definition does not mean they should be denied their right to vote.

These comments are so partisan. Poor democrats; because having proper ID,the republicans will win. How ridiculous! It then looks like the republicans want things done honest, democrats want things so anyone could vote, legal or illegal. Political parties do not dictate how I vote. I vote my conscience, by my morals and principles that this country was founded on. End of my discussion.

The reasoning that some were "Born down South...no birth certificate" does not compute. My father, aunts & uncles were all born at home, no birth certificates (in the 1920's) but obtained them, along with SS numbers, drivers licenses, etc as the came of age. If they were able to do it, why aren't the ones born in the South able to? How do they pay taxes, receive medicare, medicaid, welfare, etc., if not properly documented? Alas, I guess anyone born in the South is a Democrat, interesting. My mothers family came from another country via Ellis Island, all born in their family home and they all have Birth Certificates. If the Southern people were too lazy all these years later not to obtain one, consequence to their laziness, no voting. As for middle initials vs middle names, easy fix & no ones fault but the ones who use various names for different ID's. If there is a spelling mistake, should be corrected immediately, it is not difficult.

Read the Philadelphia Inquirer story about a former District Attorney who has been trying to correct her name for three months but is in a catch 22 since every government agency she has approached is asking for an ID with her name spelled correctly to give her the documentation she needs to get a proper ID. Everyone who says this is easy has never had to deal with the government bureaucrats who only know how to follow a script and cannot think for themselves. Example I was not allowed to board a flight in Florida because my ID said Jr. and the airline's programs could not add the Jr. to my name which security knew at the time. It took three hours and two missed flights to finally get through security according to Delta they went through this issue everyday at the Ft. Lauderdale FL airport before the TSA took over ID reviews from the airport police. So don't tell me it is easy to get an ID. Also if you are poor and cannot afford to fly to Alabama to get your birth certificate Oh you can't fly because you don't have an ID so drive Oh you do not have a drivers license so you can.t drive. Take a bus but you cannot affored the fare. So tell me how easy it is to get your ID. How about dirving these people to Alabama if you know it all. My passport has my middle name spelled out but I am not registered with it spelled out I bet I have trouble voting even though it is a similar name.