Judge Torpedoes Tough Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

A Pennsylvania judge today put the brakes on the state's controversial voter ID law, ordering that it not be implemented during this year's presidential election. While an appeal to the state Supreme Court is still possible, the AP notes that the judge's decision was based on high court guidelines, and says that it "could easily be the final word on the law" before voters go to the polls.

The state's supreme court had ordered Judge Robert Simpson to block the law if he thought it would prevent any eligible voters from casting ballots, or if he thought the state hadn't provided sufficient access to the necessary photo IDs. That last matter has been a sticking point; Gov. Tom Corbett last week revamped the process for getting IDs, in a tacit admission that it hadn't been good enough. (More voter ID laws stories.)