It's time to end the voter-ID confusion
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania residents began receiving a glossy postcard telling them, “If you want to vote, show it.”
It's time to end the voter-ID confusion
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania residents began receiving a glossy postcard telling them, “If you want to vote, show it.”
Ironically, the postcard gets to the heart of the voter ID controversy because it shows a picture of a driver’s license, the most common acceptable photo ID for voting. But the voters most likely to be disenfranchised by the new law don’t have licenses.
They are too old and poor to drive. They are young people who don’t own cars. A disproportionate number are minorities who live in the city.
Many non-driving voters who have tried to get acceptable photo IDs at state Department of Transportation centers are so frustrated they may not vote at all.
Time is running out, and regrettably, the courts aren’t helping.
Last week, the state Supreme Court passed on a chance to uphold voters’ right to a “free and equal election” when it sent a challenge of the voter-ID law back to Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson Jr.
Simpson had earlier ruled the law valid, in part based on testimony by state officials who said no voter would be disenfranchised. But fewer than 9,500 voter IDs have been issued by the state, while estimates of those without the right ID to vote range to up to 100 times that number.
Simpson has until Oct. 2 to act. He should reverse his earlier opinion that the state could ensure the implementation of this unrealistic and unfair law in time for the Nov. 6 election.
The judge should grant an injunction to prevent the confusion now from becoming chaos when legitimate voters are turned away at the polls.
lets end voter id.hell we all know the dead vote democrat— psdarkside- we need a newspaper in this town.— bannedrepublican
- I don't notice a list of the acceptable forms of ID here. Or a link to where I could find that information. That would help end the confustion, yes? I'll help you by doing your job for you, this is the list:
• A current Pennsylvania driver's license, or one that expired after November 2011;
• A current Pennsylvania photo ID card issued by Penn DOT, or one that expired after November 2011;
• A current U.S. passport;
• A U.S. military or Pennsylvania National Guard photo ID (note: it must include “a designation that the expiration date is indefinite”);
• A U.S. government-issued photo ID, e.g., agency employee, armed services, etc.;
• A current employee photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania county, city, town, township or borough;
• A current student photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania college or university (note that only ID’s containing an expiration date can be used. For instance, University of Pittsburgh’s IDs are accepted, but Penn State, LaSalle and Drexel’s are not); or
• A current photo ID issued by a licensed nursing, personal care or assisted living facility (note that only ID’s containing an expiration date can be used);
For any of these ID’s, the person has to look like the person in the picture, and the name on the ID has to “substantially conform” to the name on the voter registration record.
Go here to get information on how to obtain a free PennDot non-drivers ID:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/voter/voteridlaw.shtml
— sadim - In the daily stories posted in the Inquirer(what will they have to print now??) the stories always left out the fact that a majority of Americans supported the ID requirement. It just makes sense, maybe that is why the Inquirer Editors dissagree.
Can they really, personally feel that way, I doubt it, just looking to appease the minority of their readers and liberal folks who write their columns.— rickwozniak
