Proposed Pennsylvania “Photo ID” Bill

Advancement Project Challenges Proposed Pennsylvania “Photo ID” Bill

A coalition of voting rights organizations expressed alarm over a proposed Pennsylvania bill that seeks to require all voters to show photo identification at every election. The voting rights advocates, including Advancement Project, a national civil rights organization with voter protection efforts in Pennsylvania, strongly oppose the legislation, and urge state policymakers to challenge the bill and hold public hearings before taking any action to move this legislation forward.

On March 2, Sen. Jane C. Orie (R-McCandless) introduced Senate Bill 514 (SB 514), which would require all voters, at every election, to provide a government-issued photo ID, or two forms of other approved ID, one of which must be a photo ID. This bill has now been listed on the March 24, 2009 agenda of the Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee. If passed, the bill would infringe the voting rights of Pennsylvanians, particularly those among historically disenfranchised communities, including elderly, low-income, disabled, and minority citizens who often do not possess these types of identification.

"Many people, including legislators, may not realize that as many as 25 percent of African Americans, 18 percent of American senior citizens, and 15 percent of low-income Americans simply do not have the types of current photo ID required by this bill," said Kathryn Boockvar, Advancement Project's Pennsylvania senior attorney. "As nonpartisan advocates across the state, we believe that Pennsylvania should be making it easier for our citizens to vote and increasing voting access rather than constructing additional hurdles, as this bill does."

Ironically, SB 514 does not consider that Pennsylvania already has in place numerous protections against impersonation voting fraud, as well as the risk of significant penalties for any violation. Every voter, before voting for the first time in any precinct in Pennsylvania, must produce identification and, in every election thereafter, must be listed in the District Register/poll book in order to vote by regular ballot; if the voter is not listed in the District or County records, he or she may only vote by provisional ballot. The signature of every voter is compared to the signature on record. And, any poll worker, poll watcher, or valid voter in the municipality can challenge a voter's registration or identity, on or before Election Day. Additionally, the disincentives for voting fraud during a federal election may include serving five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000, on top of state penalties.

Along with Advancement Project, other voting rights groups opposing SB 514 include: the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Black Political Empowerment Project, Coalition for Voting Integrity, Common Cause of Pennsylvania, Concerned Voters of Centre County, Democracy Rising Pennsylvania, Disability Voting Coalition of Pennsylvania, Fair Elections Legal Network, Just Harvest, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, NAACP National Voter Fund, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project, Pennsylvania VOICE, Project H.O.M.E., SEIU Pennsylvania State Council, The Time is Now to Make a Change, and Vote for Homes! Coalition.

"We are outraged that another needless 'photo ID' bill is being pushed, right after a remarkably smooth general election in Pennsylvania, with few, if any, voter challenges and no known reports of fraud," said Celeste Taylor, an advocate with the Black Political Empowerment Project and PA VOICE. "We urge all Pennsylvanians to call their state senators and tell them to oppose SB 514, because it would not serve any necessary purpose, and instead would create a burden on our right to vote."

"Voting SB 514 into Pennsylvania law would create significant delays and longer lines on Election Day, which would also place a burden on all voters, especially many people with disabilities," said Rachel Freund, an advocate for the Disability Voting Coalition of Pennsylvania. "This community of voters is likely not to have current and accurate photos IDs, due to limited incomes, frequent moves, and inadequately accessible public offices; therefore, a restrictive photo ID policy such as this simply adds another barrier to voting."

Visit www.advancementproject.org to read Advancement Project’s letter to legislative members of the Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee.

ENDS

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