Pennsylvania Voter I.D. Law Halted; Early Voting Begins In Ohio And Florida
COSTELLO: It is 16 minutes past the hour. Let's get to that breaking news. We're now getting word that a Pennsylvania judge has just ruled on a state law that requires voters to show a photo I.D. before casting their ballot. Of course, critics say that law unfairly targets minorities and the poor. CNN's Joe Johns is in Washington. What's the ruling?</s>JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the ruling is that Judge Robert Simpson in Pennsylvania has issued an injunction. That means he has temporarily cut off the state of Pennsylvania from enforcing and going forward with this voter I.D. law as to the November election this year. The State Supreme Court had already ruled that Pennsylvania could have a voter I.D. law. The question was always whether the state would have time to implement that law by Election Day this year. So the judge got a decision on appeal and he had to make another ruling. So I just want to read you very briefly the most important language. The State of Pennsylvania is preliminarily enjoined, that means cut off from implementing or enforcing, the controversial part of that law through the general election November 6th, 2012. He said nothing in the injunction prohibits the state from doing some of the other things that the law requires does not require voter I.D. So this is certainly a victory for those in the state who said, look, there's not time to implement this law. And asking for people to get voter I.D. at this late date is just a bridge too far. The important thing we also have to say is there was a dissent on the appeal that happened in this case. And there were some judges in Pennsylvania who say this thing's going to be appealed anyway, and an appellate court is going to have to decide this and who knows how far it goes. So there could be some other appeals, nonetheless, the headline here, the important headline, a victory for people who are fighting against voter I.D. laws in Pennsylvania, a judge has temporarily enjoined the state from enforcing that law at least through the November election -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: You do not have to show a photo I.D. to vote in the state of Pennsylvania?</s>JOHNS: That appears to be the case at least until November -- until after November 6th. They're still going to have this law, it just doesn't appear to this judge that they're going to have time to implement all the procedures and get people the I.D.s that they need so that no one will be disenfranchised -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: All right, Joe Johns reporting live from Washington. Both presidential candidates are trying to downplay the importance of tomorrow night's debate. And you can bet they are hoping to sway some voters their way. The only problem, it may be too late. Voting in some critical battleground states has already started and that includes Ohio and Florida. Some people even held a sweep out the vote rally last night in Columbus, Ohio, trying to be the first in line to cast a ballot. Aaron Sharockman from the "Tampa Bay Times," and Henry Gomez from the "Cleveland Plain Dealer," join me now. Welcome, gentlemen.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy to be here.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having us.</s>COSTELLO: So, Henry, I'd like to start with you. Were there a lot of people lined up to vote this morning?</s>HENRY GOMEZ, POLITICS WRITER, "THE PLAIN DEALER": Well, in Cuyahoga County, there were about 15 people who were there last night who stayed over and then this morning by 8:15, the polls opened at 8:00 there were already 200 people in line to vote. And they were expecting hundreds more throughout the morning in Cuyahoga, which is the most populous county in Ohio.</s>COSTELLO: I know in 2008, lots of people chose to vote early in the state of Ohio. Will the early voting numbers match 2008?</s>GOMEZ: Right now, they're thinking that the early voting numbers might exceed 2008. You know, there are two ways you can do it. You can do it by mail, which is still the most popular way to vote absentee and early. Or you can do it in person, Monday through Friday at your local board of elections between set hours. So, yes, they are expecting it to exceed 2008 since more people are familiar with the options available to them.</s>COSTELLO: So, Aaron, I know there have been some challenges to Florida early voting. When it comes right down to it, how long will people be able to vote early this time around?</s>AARON SHAROCKMAN, DEP. GOVT. AND POLITICS EDITOR, "TAMPA BAY TIMES": Yes, in Florida it's the same way as Ohio. There's two ways to early vote. There's one through absentee mail ballots. Those are in the mail today and over the next week. So voters who requested those ballots will be receiving them. Folks wanting to early vote, in 2008, they have 14 days, and Charlie Crist the then Republican governor actually extending early voting hours to allow more people to even cast ballots. While the Republicans in Florida changed that law in 2011 and said now you only have eight days to vote. So really early voting in Florida in person voting doesn't start until October 27th and goes through that final Friday before the election. Democrats say, we want to vote on that final Sunday. It's a big turnout day for African-Americans. Republicans say we want to have the fairest and fraud-free election possible so we need that break in between for the end of early voting in November 6, Election Day.</s>COSTELLO: OK, so eight days people have to early vote in Florida. So what's the turnout been like in Florida?</s>SHAROCKMAN: Well, it -- the turnout is going to be interesting to see. Actually in 2008, more than half of the ballots cast for the presidential election were cast before Election Day. So you have this really interesting thing of you have, you know, Barack Obama and then John McCain coming, barn storming through the state where a lot of votes were already cast. We're expecting a similar picture in 2012. Obviously, Florida is the biggest swing state in America, 29 electoral votes, already Republicans and Democrats are organizing lawyers in every one of Florida's 67 counties, get ready to challenge ballots. Already we're hearing stories of potential voter registration fraud from a group that's aligned with the Republican Party of Florida. So it's Florida, it's every year, every election there's lots of questions, and this is another year. So I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with us, put up with us through November 6th. Hopefully, we'll get it right.</s>COSTELLO: Florida, Florida, Florida. Henry, critics of early voting say people are already voting, the presidential debates haven't even happened yet. And something could well happen in the presidential debates to change people's minds. And that's maybe why we shouldn't have early voting because there's just not enough time.</s>GOMEZ: Well, sure. You hear that argument and there are a lot of voters who are waiting until at least tomorrow night's debate before, you know, sending in their absentee ballot or showing up at the board of elections to vote. But, really, one thing I wanted to point out, we're facing a similar situation here in Ohio and Florida. This weekend before Election Day, back in 2008 it was open for early in person voting at the board of elections. It was an advantage that many Democrats took advantage of. They would organize buses from, you know, Sunday church services or from union offices. And bus folks down to the board of elections to vote. That window right now is influx. Because the state Republican officials challenged it, a federal judge ordered that banning those three days in person is unconstitutional and now there's an appeal process. So there's a lot of uncertainty following the final three days. There's a lot of time for people to vote a 35-day window. And I imagine that many will wait until that last week or so to do so.</s>COSTELLO: And, you know, Republicans would say they're just trying to make sure there's no voter fraud during this election and that's why there have been all these efforts, you know, to kind of like trim back early voting. I mean, Aaron, from your reporting, what's the real reason behind this?</s>SHAROCKMAN: Well, the reason they say is, again, to curb fraud, but when you look at the evidence, I think someone here with the American civil liberties union in Florida points out there are more shark attacks in the state of Florida than cases of voter fraud. And when you drill down what the cases of voting fraud actually are, they all happen to do with absentee ballots or voter registration, which the Republicans have tried to tamp down a little bit. But really they haven't touched absentee ballots. And when you look at who does what at least in Florida, if you're voting by mail and absentee, you're more likely to be a Republican. If you vote in person, you're more likely to be Democrat. And Republicans in 2011 really targeted early voting to try to limit the opportunities in some ways for fraud, but also maybe limit access to the ballot box, as well. And that's an argument playing out in court here in Florida. Some Democrats accused Republicans of essentially unfairly targeting minority voters by curbing the number of days of early voting in the state.</s>COSTELLO: Aaron Sharockman from the "Tampa Bay Times," and Henry Gomez from -- I can't say your name fast when I say it together. Henry Gomez from the "Cleveland Plain Dealer," thanks to you both for being here with us this morning. CNN's live debate coverage begins tomorrow night 7:00 Eastern. IKEA now apologizing after criticism over gender equality. It's all over these ads. Note the difference between the one of your left and the one on your right.