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People from across Pennsylvania attended the NAACP's "Rally for Justice" on Tuesday at the state capitol, and students are getting in on the debate over the new voter ID law.
Celiena Bady, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter at Penn State, strongly disagreed with the regulation.
"Having the right to vote is a constitutional privilege and should be taken with the utmost seriousness," Bady said. "For this reason I can understand why this process should be accurate and legitimate; however, recent voter ID laws, in my opinion, are a fake solution to a fake problem."
The rally was held in Harrisburg to dispute the new voter ID law, and groups representing a variety of Pennsylvania's citizens took a stand.
"The law spits in the face of all who fought for civil rights in this country," Sen. Daylin Leach, D-King of Prussia, said at the rally.
According to the law, starting with the upcoming general election in November voters will be required to display an acceptable photo ID to vote with a voting machine. All photo IDs would have to contain an expiration date that is current, unless noted otherwise.
The rally, which was sponsored by the Pennsylvania NAACP, also highlighted remarks by officials of statewide labor unions and Democratic lawmakers as well.
The NAACP, in collaboration with other civil rights groups, has sued states, including Texas and Pennsylvania, in protest of similar voter ID laws.
Some students also said they were put off by the voter regulations.
Patrick Smith (freshman-business) disagreed with the laws on a personal level.
"As a citizen it should be fair to have all other individuals be able to vote. However, by enacting these laws we're not giving all people a fair constitutional right," said Smith. "Some people are unable to acquire the IDs which shouldn't make them any less of a citizen."
Kristen Brannen (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) wanted the members approving this law to take a walk in the shoes of someone without a voter ID.
"Imagine being a person who was poor, elderly, or a minority that wanted to make a difference by voting," Croppes said. "These individuals who are less likely to obtain these voter IDs will be left out from becoming part of an American tradition."
NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union think that these measures are unconstitutional and an effort to keep the young, poor and elderly who supported President Barack Obama in 2008 away from the polls on election day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
