Beleaguered State Rep. Responds to Voter ID Ruling

Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, who made headlines in June after telling a group of fellow GOP supporters that Pennsylvania's Voter ID bill will "allow Governor Romney to win the State of Pennsylvania," released a statement on today's decision to delay the implementation of the law until after the presidential election.

Turzai's June statement, made to members of the Republican State Committee, was spun by critics as a Republican admission that the Voter ID bill was created to suppress Democratic turnout, not prevent voter fraud.

The Allegheny County representative admitted to poor phrasing, but his gaffe was featured on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with John Stewart, as well as several other national media outlets.

Below is Turzai's Statement:

“Today’s decision by the Commonwealth Court upholds Act 18, and voter identification, and that is good.

“Voter Identification is about ensuring the integrity of our elections and preserving the principle of the ‘One person, One vote’ doctrine.

“When votes are diluted through fraud, the system starts to break down. Voter identification has always been about creating a level playing field where every Pennsylvanian’s vote represents an equal opportunity to have a voice in government.  

“The fact is, the election integrity provisions that have passed the House have been to preserve the right of every citizen who is entitled to vote to be able to vote, and every citizen who votes should be sure that his or her vote has not been diluted by somebody else’s fraud.”