July 27, 2012 by David K. Sutton
Election official says he won’t enforce Pennsylvania’s voter ID law
Pennsylvania election official Christopher Broach says he will not enforce Pennsylvania’s voter ID law which requires voters to have a valid form of photo ID before they can vote. Republicans have passed these laws for one simple reason: to disenfranchise minority voters who are overwhelmingly likely to vote Democratic.
Broach is a Democratic inspector of elections in Colwyn, PA, which is in Delaware County (suburb of Philadelphia). He says, “To ask me to enforce something that violates civil rights is ludicrous and absolutely something I am not willing to do.” If Broach follows through on his promise (and assuming PA’s voter ID law stands), it will be a brave stance to take since he could face fines or even a prison sentence.
And if you think it’s only Democratic election officials who have a problem, meet Jane Golas, a Republican inspector of elections in Radnor Township. She says, “This is a move by people to suppress the vote in the city of Philadelphia…We never had an issue with people coming in to fraudulently vote.”
As you might imagine, there’s some push back from the state. Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Department of State says, “I am disappointed that an elected official will make a comment that he will not uphold the law that is part of his duties…We all have laws we don’t like, but we can’t pick and choose those we are going to follow.”
I say a little civil disobedience is necessary now and then when the power establishment pass laws that infringe on the rights of citizens.
