HARRISBURG, July 24, 2012 – State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery) joined several of his legislative colleagues, NAACP officials, labor organization officials, faith leaders and hundreds of concerned citizens – of which a majority were senior – citizens at a rally today on the steps of the State Capitol to protest the voter ID law.

“Let the people vote,” Hughes said. “They are American citizens, let them vote!

[custom_frame_right][/custom_frame_right] “This law is not about protecting against voter fraud, it is about the very real, systematic disenfranchisement of approximately 750,000 individuals – mostly the poor, the elderly, students and racial minorities. “It is voter suppression, plain and simple, and we must not stand for it.”

Hughes also announced today that he has signed on as co-sponsor to legislation that would repeal the Voter ID Act and increase penalties for voter impersonation in Pennsylvania. The bill’s primary sponsor is Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware).

“The Voter ID law is about Republican attempts to win the Presidential election in November,” Hughes said. “The dubious claims of voter fraud made by the Republican majority and Governor Tom Corbett simply do not exist. That has been proven. I am pleased to join Senator Leach, in his efforts to repeal this unnecessary and egregious law.”

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Hughes added that attorneys for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have alleged that there have been no known cases of voter fraud committed in the state and that they do not plan to offer evidence proving otherwise.

“The data has indicated that there has been no fraud,” Hughes said. “In fact, as a matter of record, when he was Attorney General, Tom Corbett never prosecuted one case of voter fraud.”

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The Department of State reported that 9.2 percent of registered Pennsylvanians, 750,000 citizens will be disenfranchised under Voter ID. Almost one in five voters in Philadelphia will be disenfranchised by this law.

Senator Hughes has included detailed instructions on how to obtain a valid ID card on his website, www.senatorhughes.com. Constituents can also call his district office at 215-879-7777.

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