A remark from a top Republican from Pennsylvania over the weekend about the new voter ID law in the state has reignited the debate over whether the law is meant to curb fraud, as the Republicans say it is, or to depress the turnout of Democrats, as the Democrats say it is. Mike Turzai, the majority leader in the state’s House, said the new law would help Mitt Romney be victorious in the state. He made the remarks at a weekend meeting of state Republicans.

Turzai said, “The voter ID law will give former Governor Romney the win in the state of Pennsylvania.”

When lawmakers in Pennsylvania passed the new law this year that requires all voters to show an ID that has a photo before casting a ballot, the Democrats warned it would make it very hard for many supporters of their party, including the younger voters and those members of the party who are minorities, to cast their votes. The Democrats said that many of the colleges and universities in the state, for instance, would have to make changes to their identification cards they issue annually to students, so the students will be able to use them in order to vote.

Stephen Miskin, Turzai’s spokesman said the Turzai’s remarks, which he made on Saturday in the city of Hershey, were only meant to emphasize how important it was to combat voter fraud and by doing so would help level the upcoming election’s playing field. Miskin declined to comment as to whether he thought fraud had played some role in prior presidential elections in the state.