"Commissioner Schmidt's report finally confirms what leading Democrat opponents of voter photo ID and those in the mainstream media have been denying all along," said Rep. Metcalfe. "Philadelphia is without question one of our nation's most infested epicenters for rampant election fraud and corruption."
Originally drafted to model Indiana's photo identification law, which was upheld as Constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008, Metcalfe's Pennsylvania Voter Identification Protection Act (Act 18 of 2012) was signed into law by the governor on March 14.
Act 18 requires voters to present valid photo ID before voting to ensure that each legally cast vote is protected from the forces of corruption. It also requires those using absentee ballots to submit proof of identification.
"Commissioner Schmidt's findings add to the ever-growing collection of indisputable evidence proving that requiring the display of valid voter photo ID at the ballot box is essential to deterring election fraud," said Rep. Metcalfe. "Most importantly, these findings demonstrate that we must develop additional solutions that go beyond voter photo ID to stamp out corrupting influences."
Expert testimony presented to the House State Government Committee confirmed that requiring valid photo ID at the polls, as made possible through Act 18, can prevent the four most widely documented types of voter fraud, including: impersonation at the polls, fictitious registrations, double-voting and voting by illegal aliens.
Secretary Of The Commonwealth
Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele issued the following statement on the Philadelphia Voting Irregularities Report:
"As the state's chief election official, I commend Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt on his efforts to investigate alleged election crimes in Philadelphia. His report is a chilling reminder of the many ways in which election fraud has been committed in our state. The commissioner deserves much credit for tackling this tough issue, and it is my hope that Philadelphia continues to be vigilant.
"Reading this report, it is clear that some of the alleged crimes would have been prevented if Pennsylvania's voter ID law had been in place in previous elections. The simple act of voters showing a photo ID before they vote will help detect and deter voter fraud. Our voter ID law will help restore people's faith in our elections."
NewsClips:Philly Election Official Details Examples Of Voter Fraud
1 Million Pennsylvanians Lack Valid Voter ID
