WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW VOTER ID LAW
Doesn’t PA already require voters to present an ID at the polls?
Yes, but only if you are voting for the first time ever or voting
for the first time in a new division (for example, when moving requires you to
vote at a new polling place). And the current law allows you to identify
yourself by showing photo or non-photo ID with your name and address (for
example, a utility bill, paycheck or bank statement). The new law dramatically
changes this by saying: (1) all voters must show an ID every time they vote, and
(2) only a photo ID is acceptable.
When do I need to bring a photo ID to the polls?
Starting with the November 6 general election – and for all future
elections. In other words, if you want to vote for president on November 6, you
must present an acceptable photo ID.
What types of photo IDs are acceptable in November?
Acceptable PHOTO IDs include:
• A PA
driver's license: currently valid or expired less than 12
months.
• An ID issued by the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (PennDOT): currently valid or expired less than
12 months.
• A currently valid U.S.
passport. Expired passports will not be accepted.
• An active duty or retired U.S. military ID, including
an ID for members of the PA National Guard: an indefinite expiration date
will be accepted.
• A currently valid military
dependent’s ID. Expired IDs will not be accepted.
• A currently valid employee ID issued by federal,
PA, PA county or PA municipal government. Expired IDs will not be accepted.
• A currently valid ID issued by a PA university,
college, seminary, community college or two-year college to students,
faculty, employees and alumni. Expired IDs will not be accepted.
• A currently valid ID issued by a PA care facility
(such as a long-term care nursing facility, assisted living residence or a
personal care home). Expired IDs will not be accepted.
I have a religious objection to being photographed.
You can still vote by presenting a non-photo driver’s license or other
non-photo ID issued by PennDOT. Both IDs must have a definite expiration date.
IDs beyond the expiration date will not be accepted.
I don’t have any of the photo IDs you mentioned.
You can apply for Photo ID to use for voting by going to a
PennDOT
Driver’s License Center and submitting form
DL-54A and signing an
Oath/ Affirmation that you don’t have any of the photo IDs
that will be accepted at the polls. When completing the application, you will
need to provide:
• Your Social Security card,
and• Your official birth certificate (with a raised
seal), certificate of U.S. citizenship, certificate of naturalization or a valid
U.S. passport,
and• Two proofs of residency, e.g.,
lease agreement, mortgage documents, W-2 form, tax records or a current utility
bill (cell phone bills cannot be used).
Do voters with expired driver’s licenses or a non-driver’s license photo ID
have to go through this same process?
No, if a voter once had a PA driver’s license or a non-driver’s license
photo ID, and these are now expired, in many cases, the voter does not have to
bring in documentation (e.g., birth certificate, social security card, proof of
residency) to get a photo ID for voting purposes (see F. above). The voter must
only give his/her name at a PennDOT driver’s license center and, once verified
as being in the system, will be given a photo ID for voting purposes. The voters
still must complete the application form and sign an oath/affirmation that
he/she doesn’t have an acceptable form of photo ID and need one in order to
vote. Voters whose driver’s licenses expired before 1990 can call PennDOT at
1-800-932-4600 to see if their information is still in the system.
What if my name changed and doesn’t “match” the name on some documents I’m
showing PennDOT?
PennDOT recommends bringing documents that “connect” the names. For
example, if you got married or divorced, it’s a good idea to bring a marriage
certificate or a divorce decree.
I live with my parents. Where am I going to get two proofs of
residency?
You can bring one of your parents with you to PennDOT to show their
Pennsylvania driver’s license or non-driver’s photo ID. As a second proof
of residency, you can bring a bank statement, paystub or a credit card bill as
long as the address matches the address on your parent’s ID. (But if you have a
valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, you don’t need to do this – Just show your
driver’s license at the polls.)
I go to college in Philadelphia and live in a dorm. How do I prove my
residency?
Remember that you can use your college ID as long as it has your photo, a
definite expiration date and is still current (not expired) on the day you vote.
But if your college photo ID isn’t acceptable, you need to go to PennDOT to get
a photo ID. You can submit paperwork showing your dorm room assignment and a
bill with your dorm room address as one proof of residency. A bank statement or
paystub with your dorm address can serve as a second proof of residency.
What if my college Photo ID doesn’t have an expiration date?
Many Pennsylvania colleges, universities, seminaries, community colleges
and two-year colleges give out photo IDs that include the date the ID was
issued, not when it expires. To be acceptable at the polls, the
photo ID must have a current expiration date -- which can be a specific date in
the future (e.g., 9/16/16), a school year (e.g., 2012-2013) or a semester (e.g.,
Fall 2012). A sticker with this information affixed to a photo ID will be
acceptable at the polls.
What if I go to a college or university out-of-state?
Student IDs from non-PA colleges or universities are not acceptable
forms of photo ID.
How much will it cost me to get a photo ID in order to vote?
Nothing. It’s free. (But getting a copy of your birth certificate
with a raised seal will cost you $10 if you were born in Pennsylvania or perhaps
more if you were born in another state or country. The fee may be waived for
voters who served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces or their
dependents.)
Where can I find the nearest PennDOT Driver’s License Center?
Photo IDs for voting are not available at all PennDOT offices – just at
PennDOT Driver’s License Centers. Check here for a listing of Driver’s License
Centers around the state:
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/ How can I get a PA birth certificate?
I can’t find my Social Security card? Where can I get a replacement?
Details about replacing your Social Security card can be found by calling
the federal Social Security Administration office at 1-800-772-1213 or by
logging onto:
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/251.
Unlike a PA birth certificate, a replacement Social Security card is
free.
Looking for more information on getting a Social Security Card?
Click
HereWhat happens if I can’t afford to get a photo ID for some reason?
If you come to the polls in November without a photo ID because you
couldn’t afford to get one (e.g., you couldn’t pay $10 for an official birth
certificate), you will be allowed to vote by provisional (paper) ballot. In
order for your provisional ballot to count, you have six calendar days after
the election to provide your county Board of Elections with an affirmation
that states that you are the same person who cast the provisional ballot, and
that you cannot afford to obtain proof of your identity. You can do this
electronically, by mail, by fax – or you can show up in person at the Board of
Elections.
What happens if I have an acceptable photo ID but forget to bring it to the
polls in November?
If you forget your photo ID, you will have to vote by provisional (paper)
ballot. In order for your provisional ballot to count, you have six calendar
days after the election to provide your county Board of Elections with a
copy of an acceptable photo ID (in other words, an ID that would have been
acceptable had you not forgotten to bring it to the polls) and an affirmation
that you are the same person who cast the provisional ballot. You can do this
electronically, by mail, by fax – or you can show up in person at the Board of
Elections.
And I if don’t do this within six days?
Your provisional ballot won’t be counted.
Where can I find my county Board of Elections?
Do I need to show ID to vote by absentee ballot?
Unless you are a military or overseas voter applying for an absentee
ballot, you must prove your identity by providing one of the following on your
application for an absentee ballot:
• Your driver’s
license number, or
• The last four digits of your
social security number (if you don’t have a driver’s license),
or
• A copy of any photo ID that would be acceptable
if you were voting in person, or
• A
non-photo driver’s license or other non-photo ID issued by PennDOT (if you have
a religious objection to being photographed).
What happens if my absentee ballot is rejected?
If you don’t prove your identity properly, or your proof can’t be verified
by your county Board of Elections, you will get a notice from the Board (along
with the absentee ballot) that you must provide acceptable proof or your
absentee ballot won’t count. You have six calendar days after an election
to do this.
I’m disabled. Voting is hard enough for me as it is.
If you are disabled and your polling place is not handicapped accessible,
you are eligible to vote by alternative ballot. The new voter photo ID law
doesn’t require you to show proof of identification if you vote by alternative
ballot.
The Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition is
composed of 80 organizations that have convened to conduct non-partisan
education activities about Pennsylvania's new voter ID law, which will go into
effect at the November 6 general election. For information about joining the coalition, contact Luke
McKinstry at the Committee of Seventy at lmckinstry@seventy.org or 215-557-3600 ext. 112. Click here
for a list of coalition
members.
The Committee of Seventy
Eight Penn Center
1628 JFK
Boulevard
Suite 1002
Philadelphia, PA 19103
p. 215-557-3600
f.
215-557-3608