Pennsylvania Secretary of Commonwealth Announces Simplified Process for Obtaining Voter ID, Reminds Voters Photo ID Not Required for April 24 Primary

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele today announced a simplified process for many voters, especially senior citizens with expired driver's licenses, to obtain a non-driver license photo ID if they need one to vote under Pennsylvania's new Voter ID law. 

"If you had a Pennsylvania driver's license, or a non-driver license photo ID, in most cases you will not be required to bring a birth certificate, or any other proof of identification or residence, to request a non-driver photo ID for voting purposes," Aichele said.

"You won't even need your expired license if you no longer have it," Aichele added.  "You'll only need to give your name at a PennDOT driver license center, and once you are verified as being in the system, PennDOT will provide you with a non-driver license photo ID, which you can use to vote."

For licenses that expired prior to 1990, call PennDOT's Customer Care Center, at 1-800-932-4600, to verify that your information is still in the system.

This process will particularly help senior citizens who no longer drive and whose licenses have expired, Aichele said. People applying for the non-driver license photo ID will still need to fill out the application form for this ID. Individuals will also have to sign an affirmation they have no other acceptable form of photo ID for voting purposes to receive the non-driver license photo ID free of charge.

Pennsylvania care facilities, including long-term care facilities, assisted living residences, or personal care homes can create their own photo IDs for residents, as long as the document includes the name of the facility, the name and photo of the voter, and an expiration date.

"Accredited Pennsylvania public or private colleges and universities can also help their students by adding expiration dates to their ID cards. These institutions can issue stickers that can be affixed to the ID cards to meet the law's requirements, as long as the sticker has an expiration date, or notes that it is for an academic year or a semester," Aichele added, strongly encouraging all colleges and universities to take this step to benefit their students.

Starting with the November election, all photo IDs must be current and contain an expiration date, unless otherwise noted. Acceptable IDs include:

• 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, Pennsylvania state, or a Pennsylvania county or municipal government;
• Photo ID cards from an accredited public or private Pennsylvania college or university; or
• Photo ID cards issued by a Pennsylvania care facility, including long-term care facilities, assisted living residences or personal care homes.

"No one legally entitled to vote will be denied that right," Aichele said. "If a voter does not have a photo ID at the polls this November, he or she may vote with a provisional ballot, and will then have six days to provide a photo ID to the county election office."  

This ID may be provided in person, by mail, e-mail, or fax.

Pennsylvania voters will be asked to show photo ID at the polls in the April 24 primary election, but will not be required to produce the photo ID until November's general election. Voters not having an acceptable ID will be given a handout by poll workers, listing the acceptable IDs and where to get more information.

Current election law, remaining in effect for the primary, requires first-time voters and people voting for the first time at a new polling place to show ID, though it need not be a photo ID. Acceptable ID for first-time voters for this primary election can be a photo ID, or a proof of residence, such as a tax or utility bill.

For more information on the Voter ID law, or to find out where to get a photo ID and what documents you need to get a photo ID, visit www.VotesPA.com, or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).

Media contact: Ron Ruman, 717-783-1621

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State