Secretary of Commonwealth Announces New Voter ID Card

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele today announced the creation of a new card that can be issued to voters who need photo identification under Pennsylvania's voter ID law.

The Department of State voter cards, which will be issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will be available to registered voters who are not able to provide all of the documents they would normally need to obtain a photo ID from PennDOT, such as a birth certificate.

"As we work to ensure that Pennsylvanians have the identification they need to vote this fall, this new card will provide another photo ID option for voters," Aichele said.

"We believe these new cards will be a safety net for those who may not currently possess all of the documents they need for a standard photo ID from PennDOT. Our goals are to continue making voters aware of the new voter ID law and helping those who may not have proper identification obtain it," she added.

The new voter photo identification cards are scheduled to be available at PennDOT's Drivers License Centers beginning the last week of August. The identification cards can be issued to registered voters who may not have all of the documents necessary to obtain a non-driver's license photo ID from PennDOT, primarily a birth certificate.

The IDs, which are free, will be issued to voters for a 10-year period and can only be used for voting purposes. For Pennsylvania-born voters, PennDOT will still use the process of confirming birth records electronically with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to issue non-driver's license photo IDs for voting.

When requesting these IDs, voters will need to affirm they do not possess any other approved identification for voting purposes. They will be asked to provide two proofs of residence, such as a utility bill, along with their date of birth and Social Security number, if the customer has an assigned number.  PennDOT will validate the voter registration status with the Department of State while the voter is in the PennDOT office.  Upon confirmation of this information, the voter will be issued the voter card before leaving the PennDOT facility.

These cards will be issued by PennDOT up to and through Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012, and thereafter.

"The creation of these voter cards is an important step in the implementation of the voter ID law," Aichele said. "Everyone who needs ID to vote will be able to get it months before the election," she added.

Visit the Department of State online at www.dos.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Nick Winkler, 717-783-1621

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State