PA's New Voter ID Bill: What is it and What do I need to do?

In March 2012, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a voter identification bill that may possibly affect your ability to vote. However, with proper information and preparation, you can avoid the pitfalls that may prevent you from having your vote count this November.

At a later date, we will take a look at the consequences of the bill and come to a conclusion as to whether the legislation was a good idea. Today, however, we will provide information that can assist you in making sure your voice is heard on Election Day 2012.

The main provision of the voter identification bill is the requirement for photo identification. Like 15 other states before Pennsylvania, the General Assembly's major rationale for the photo identification requirement was their belief in a rise in voter fraud. Next time we will take a look at whether that rationale was justified and whether the law can withstand legal challenges.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, all voters must bring photo identification that includes an expiration date that is current. In other words, your non-renewed six-year-old driver's license is not going to be acceptable. Unfortunately for older voters, the simple showing of a utility bill with your name and address will not be proper identification. This is even if a voter has voted at the same location for multiple electoral cycles. Acceptable identification includes:

• Photo IDs issued by the U.S. Federal Government or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: 
• Pennsylvania driver’s license or non-driver’s license photo ID (IDs are valid for voting purposes 12 months past expiration date)
• Valid U.S. passport
• U.S. military ID - active duty and retired military (a military or veteran’s ID must designate an expiration date or designate that the expiration date is indefinite). Military dependents’ ID must contain an expiration date

• Employee photo ID issued by Federal, PA, County or Municipal government
• Photo ID cards from an accredited Pennsylvania public or private institution of higher learning
• Photo ID cards issued by a Pennsylvania care facility, including long-term care facilities, assisted living residences or personal care homes

Source: http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/preparing_for_election_day/13517/what_to_bring/585320

College students should also be aware that their student IDs are NOT acceptable unless they have an expiration date on the face of the card. Recent articles in different newspapers across the Commonwealth have reported that PA colleges and universities are starting to add expiration dates to their student IDs. If you are unsure whether your institution of higher learning is adding these dates, make sure you rely on another form of acceptable photo identification. 

If you are unable to procure photo identification by Election Day, you can still vote, but you have to vote provisionally. This results in your ballot being counted separately from all other ballots. A provisional ballot will be counted so long as the voter returns a copy of an accepted ID and an affirmation letter to your County Board of Elections within six calendar days. This process can be done through fax, e-mail, or snail mail. 

After the six day time frame is up, any voter with a provisional ballot may call the PA Department of State at 1-877-VOTES-PA to find out if their ballot was counted. 

If you have any further questions regarding the PA voter identification bill, please contact me at michaeltmuha@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer any preliminary questions free of charge. 

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informative and advertisement purposes only. This post contains no legal advice. If you need to speak to an attorney about any legal matter you may have please e-mail The Law Office of Michael T. Muha at michaeltmuha@gmail.com.