With Election Day only 10 weeks away, Pennsylvania is making it easier for people to comply with the new voter ID law.
Starting today, Pennsylvania voters who don’t have the verification documents necessary for a secure Pennsylvania Photo ID (non-driver’s license ID card) will be able to get a new Department of State voter identification card for free.
“Our goal is to ensure that every person who needs an ID can get one, and this new ID serves as a safety net for those who can’t find or obtain verification documents normally required for a PennDOT secure identification card,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch.
Those Pennsylvanians include James McDowell, who tells NBC10 he doesn’t have the necessary paper work to get a regular non-driver’s license Pennsylvania State ID but still wants to vote.
“I don’t have a birth certificate,” said McDowell. “But I’m a Vietnam vet so I’m an American citizen.”
If you were born in Pennsylvania but don’t have a birth certificate with a raised seal, PennDOT will work directly with the Department of Health to certify your birth record. If you still can’t qualify for a PennDOT secure ID, the department will then work to issue the new Department of State Voter ID card.
If you want the new Department of State Voter ID you will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, proof of residency and previous name and/or address if changed in the past 12 months. You also must complete a Department of State ID application form and sign a document affirming that you are a registered voter but have no other form of identification that can be used for voting. Staff at the Driver License Center will contact the Department of State to confirm that you are registered to vote. Once verified, you will receive the free Department of State Voter ID in the mail within seven to ten days. The Voter ID card is valid for ten years for voting purposes only.
For more information on voting and the types of Photo ID’s that can be used at polls, visit www.votespa.com or www.dos.state.pa.us.
