Lyford spoke with the Daily News the same day that a study was released asserting that Philadelphia's minority population will be among the hardest hit by the law. "Pennsylvania's new strict photo-ID requirement may be in effect a racially discriminatory voting procedure," the study reads.
Conducted by the data-mining firm Azavea using data from the City Commissioner's Office, the study showed that those in African-American voting divisions are 85 percent more likely to lack voting credentials than those in mostly white divisions. Those in Hispanic neighborhoods are 108 percent more likely to lack PennDOT IDs.
Also Thursday:
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady expressed concern over Pennsylvania's voter-ID law, telling the Daily News that it disenfranchises students and that "people aren't ready for the law." Brady and other representatives were hosting a summit in Washington on student rights.
Brady said he has sent requests to 6,000 college presidents nationwide for the schools to hold informational meetings for first-year students on voting, to open college campuses up as polling places and to host workshops for students on how to vote as a student. He added that he's working to make sure that college ID cards in Pennsylvania have expiration dates in order to allow them to become valid forms of voting identification.
Said Brady, "If one person gets disenfranchised, it's one too many."
In Harrisburg, a hearing being held to determine whether to block the state's voter-ID law reached its final day as attorneys from the state and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania gave their closing arguments in Commonwealth Court.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Cawley said the ACLU and other groups that provided free legal services to the plaintiffs built their case around an "emotional appeal that plays well to the cameras and those untrained in the law."
The state's attorneys said any major problems involving educating voters about new regulations or providing free IDs should be ironed out by Election Day.
Lawyers trying to prevent the law from taking effect before the Nov. 6 election said it would disenfranchise voters and cause chaos at the polls.
"There's no good reason why this law needs to be in effect in November," said ACLU legal director Vic Walczak.
Judge Robert Simpson said that he would issue his ruling during the week of Aug. 13.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Sean Carlin at 215-854-2148, carlins@phillynews.com or on Twitter @SeanCarlin84.
