Vote Suppression: 9.2% of voters in PA do not have required ID to vote (18% in Philadelphia)

[enough]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20120704_Voter_ID_law_may_affect_more_Pennsylvanians_than_previously_estimated.html

Voter ID law may affect more Pennsylvanians than previously estimated

By Bob Warner Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

More than 758,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have photo identification cards from the state Transportation Department, putting their voting rights at risk in the November election, according to data released Tuesday by state election officials.

The figures - representing 9.2 percent of the state's 8.2 million voters - are significantly higher than prior estimates by the Corbett administration. Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele has repeatedly said that 99 percent of Pennsylvania's voters already had the photo ID they will need at the polls in November.

The new numbers, based on a comparison of voter registration rolls with PennDot ID databases, shows the potential problem is much bigger, particularly in Philadelphia, where 186,830 registered voters - 18 percent of the city's total registration - do not have PennDot ID.

snip>

Looks like a smashing success for Corbett and the Republicans .

[hedgehog]

1. I was trying to figure out who in America doesn't have a driver's license -

then it hit me - people in large cities with good public transportation and expensive parking options!

[enough]

4. Also old people who no longer drive, like my father in law. We have been jumping through

one bureaucratic hoop after another to get his ID in time for the election. He's lived for more than fifty years at the same address in PA, and never missed an election. Of course the poll workers will recognize him, but they have to follow the rules.

But you're right, the urban population is going to be the hardest hit by this, which is exactly as the PA Republicans designed it.

[Patiod]

11. My dad also.

He is disabled enough to quality for an absentee ballot though, and THIS YEAR they will require only SS# so he'll be okay for now.

Was at a Dem Committee meeting, and one of the women was at a retirement party for her pastor. She asked one of the women in her church about ID, and not only did she not have any (she was older and no longer drove) but the small church in Virginia where her birth and baptismal records were had burnt down.

So even though Pennsylvania is crowing about how "easy" it is to get a birth certificate, that applies only to people BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA. If you were born in the South like many African Americans - tough luck.

Fuck Corbett, the legislators, and ALEC. Anti-democracy shitheads all of them.

[enough]

13. We finally got a duplicate birth certificate (from 1915) from Brooklyn NY for my

father in law: $35.00 and a lot of time on the internet. But that's only the first step toward getting the ID.

I hadn't thought of the absentee ballot idea. That might be simpler. Since he doesn't drive, I suppose he could be seen as a legitimate absentee voter.

[madashelltoo]

29. Trying to help a young, black man get a birth certificate

He is 50 (young to me), black and was born at home in a tiny town in South Carolina. My aunt brought him to Philadelphia at three, raised and educated him and he has never had a birth certificate. We only knew his mother's name at the time. Who knows who his father was. He was born after the 1960 census, so he doesn't show up on any of those. How do we get a birth certificate for this man? He's still an American and deserves a vote. Believe me, his story is not unique in the African American community.

[Patiod]

33. "not unique" As the Republicans well know

It really infuriates me to see privileged middle class people whining "but you need ID to FLY!!!" as if everyone in America flies or even drives.

[NashuaDW]

2. So, Let's fix this ...

I agree that people in mtero areas may not have a driver's license ... but it's hard to believe that that many people don't EVER fly, enter a Federal building, or use a bank.

But, be that as it may and assuming most of these people will vote D ... let's have the local party mobilize an ID drive and get these folks the required credentials.

Fighting these laws on a state-by-state basis is always going to be an uphill battle. Think of it as step 1 in the GOTV effort

[jberryhill]

3. Really?

"but it's hard to believe that that many people don't EVER fly, enter a Federal building, or use a bank."

About 8% of US households do not have a bank account.

2/3 of Americans do not have a passport.

15% of Americans live in poverty. Where do you think they are flying?

[Cali_Democrat]

18. Well said. n/t

[MH1]

5. I agree with mobilizing an ID drive, but your first comment is a bit out of touch.

TONS of people don't travel at all, meaning they don't fly. Lots of people don't use banks. If you ain't got no money what's the point of a bank? Similarly they'd avoid Federal buildings. (For what reason would they need to enter one?)

But either way, we need to mobilize like you said. Get as many people id's as possible.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. Enter a Federal Building? Use a bank?

I do both and other than opening a bank account (Patriot Act), I have never been asked for ID in either.

Philadelphia is a major city, on the train line and with excellent public transportation. It also costs about $20 to park a car there for 4 hours.

[progree]

17. Just a greed-banger talking point that CONservatives use

but it's hard to believe that that many people don't EVER fly, enter a Federal building, or use a bank.

There are RW graphics that show a lot of other such things like buying a beer. I'm sick of seeing these kinds of lists implying that anyone that breathes has qualifying voter ID.

I have never been asked for an ID at the US Bankcorp bank I've had an account at for 30 years.

Only one bar and only one liquor store has ever asked me for an ID in the last I don't know how many years.

Enter a federal building? Where do you get that one?

I don't know what the law is in Pennsylvania, but in some other states the address and name has to match the address and name on the voter registration roles, meaning every time one moves - or marries and takes on a different name -- one must get a new ID (as well as notify the voter registrar or whatever its called).

Someone mentioned elderly African Americans in the South not having birth certificates -- well that's true of a lot of elderly everywhere that were born at home -- there is an ACLU flyer of a white 80-something WHITE woman born at home without a birth certificate.

We really need somebody to go take apart some of these lists item by item. Crap, if I needed a photo ID for all these occasions, I'd wear it around my neck. There are statistics from places like the Brennan Center about people who don't have a qualifying ID, not just those who don't have drivers licenses.

[Patiod]

34. Poor people use check cashing services that aren't as picky about ID

My SO didn't have a license for a few years, and he had to use one of those thieving check cashing services.

[SoCalDem]

7. The dem leadership there had better get busy and get those people their IDs

We really need a " Get Every Democrat a PASSPORT" drive. They are valid for a very long time, and even an expired passport would prove citizenship.

Rest assured, that whatever ID the GOP is pushing this time around, will be tweaked and changed just enough next time.

There are TWO things every democrat should do to protect their voting rights.

1) have a passport
2) register republican

All the fancy money spent for lawsuits and for ads are meaningless if 20% of your voters cannot even vote.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. At $165 each?

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html

[SoCalDem]

12. If that's what it costs, it's probably money well spent

to finally solve a voter eligibility [problem. It;s probably cheaper than what all those lawyers every election cycle charge the DNC.. I don't think they work for free/

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. LOL! There is that!

They changed the rules a few years ago, and a name change (in my case, divorce) isn't $10 any more - it is the full $140. Even if you aren't due for renewal.



Add the $25 for a new application and it is $165 now. PA state IDs cost almost nothing in comparison to that. A free passport (or even reasonably priced national ID) would do wonders - but that is Department of State, so would have to be funded federally (which also isn't such a bad idea...)

[jberryhill]

21. Wait a minute - "if that's what it costs?"

When did you get yours?

And, no, an expired passport does not prove citizenship.

[SoCalDem]

22. It should, since the information to get the first one was verified or you would

never have gotten it.

The fact the the passport may need a new picture, does not change your birth information.

When I hear about how much money people spend on phones and other things, the cost of a passport does seem insignificant to me, IF voting is an issue.


and many of these older folks without proper ID, probably have drawers full of gifts give by grand-kids, kids, friends who have no idea what they like.

A family gift of valid ID might be infinitely more helpful.

[jberryhill]

24. It proves you were a citizen at the time of issue

1. US citizenship status is not some permanent unalterable status. There are certainly persons who were born US citizens who are no longer US citizens.

2. While many people do keep them, and there is no real enforcement, passports are property of the US State Dept. (go read the fine print) and are to be surrendered on expiration. If you want, they will punch a hole in it and return it to you.

3. It costs MORE than $165. You also need a certified birth certificate (from your state of birth, which is additional expense if you no longer live there). If you are a woman who has married, and changed your name, you need certified documentation of each name change on top of that.

Even if you have $165 to spare, which many don't, getting your ducks in a row can be a daunting undertaking. As one example, I was traveling abroad with minor children. To get a passport for a minor (and many 18 year olds in November are 17 years old right now), you need consent of both parents. Now, their mother has her maiden name on her birth certificate, her first married name on THEIR birth certificates, and she is re-married and has a second married name now. To prove on paper that she is their mother requires certified documentation of (1) her birth certificate, (2) her first name change, (3) her second name change after the divorce, and (4) her third name change after her re-marriage. Fortunately, this all happened in one state. But if it involved multiple states, it would have taken considerably longer and been more costly.

The $165 was NOTHING compared to getting all that together.

[SoCalDem]

25. I know it's all a hassle, but

the simple facts remain.

GOP will ALWAYS throw in flaming hoops for all but their chosen ones.
Lawsuits cost a lot and take YEARS to end..(long after election results are in)

IDs are kind of necessary these days, ans whatever one can do to see that their loved ones have them, is money/time well spent...IF voting is a priority

It sucks that this is happening, but it's been going on for a very long time, and I don't see it ending anytime soon.

We can all "but what about THIS..or THAT"? it to death and we can recite a litany of people whose records are non-existent, but that does not negate the fact that MOST people "could" get whatever ID is required, and with help from the party, or their family, it should be do-able. It sucks to have t do it, but unless arguing and throwing tantrums at the polling place is to be avoided, getting an ID seems to be the answer.

A US Passport is the El-Primo identification and it is valid for many years.

Dems in red states will NEVER get the rules "relaxed". They will only get more onerous as time passes.

There are LOTS of things that are different now than they used to be, and this is just another one.

[jberryhill]

26. "it is valid for many years"

Uh, no. Two presidential elections. That's more than $80 an election.

A US passport will NOT satisfy the requirements in many places which require the ID to demonstrate residence in the district in which the voter is voting. A passport does not show your address, and most certainly does not establish your residence in any state.

Hence, what you are peddling here is not only inefficient and costly, but is in most instances just plain wrong.

[SoCalDem]

28. No biggie here.. We all do what we can.. You don't the option..don't do it

We are spitting into the wind on ID in the US.

India seems to be on track to identify & get IDs for its HUGE population, and is doing it inexpensively.

We seem to prefer angst and dilemma in the US.

whatever

[NEOhiodemocrat]

31. In Ohio a passport is NOT a valid ID at the poll

As a poll worker I was surprised that it did not qualify, but it is right there in the rules. But you can use a recent utility bill...go figure.

[Igel]

8. Better put: "Up to 9.2% of voters don't have PennDOT ID."

This is pretty much an upper bound. With a lot of leeway for the real number being lower.

Example 1:
Department of State spokesman, Ron Ruman, noted that 167,566 of the [758,000] registered voters without PennDot ID were classified as "inactive," not having voted in the last four years. "Our experience is, a lot of these people are former college students who don't live here anymore," he said in an interview.

Example 2:
He said the methodology used by PennDot and the Department of State - a match of first names, last names and birth dates - may also have missed some voters who have PennDot ID.

Example 3:
"This comparison takes into account only voters with PennDot IDs, and does not include voters who may have any of the other various acceptable forms of ID."


I'd also I'd note that urban voters tend to move a lot more, and be represented in multiple jurisdictions so that one person may easily show up as multiple voters. Low education voters also pose a problem.

[enough]

10. Correct, but there will be a very large number of people who don't have any one of those required.

Without one of them, they will have to get the PennDot non-driver photo ID, which is a MAJOR hassle, particularly if you don't drive. You get the non-driver photo ID at the same places you go to get your driver's license. There aren't that many of these places, and they have weird hours, with not all services provided at every center, and not open every weekday. It's a system seemingly made up to make it hard to get the ID, for drivers or non-drivers. It often requires a lot of waiting, and then you get to the window and they tell you you don't have the right papers. PA is a bureaucrats' paradise.

snip from the article>

Under Pennsylvania's new voter ID law, various other forms of photo identification will be accepted at voting places in November, including U.S. passports, student identification cards with expiration dates, current military identification, and ID cards issued to government employees.

But for most voters, the Pennsylvania driver's license is the standard photo ID. The disclosure that 9 percent of the state's registered voters don't have one - or an alternative, nondriver PennDot photo ID - provides a clearer picture of the hurdle set up by the state's new voter ID requirement.

Republican lawmakers pushed the bill through the legislature in March and it was signed into law by Gov. Corbett, over protests from Democrats that the measure would disenfranchise thousands of voters, disproportionately affecting those without driver's licenses - the poor, the elderly, and the young.

House Republican leader Mike Turzai acknowledged the law's political implications at a Republican State Committee meeting last month. "Voter ID - which is going to allow Gov. Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania - done," Turzai told the crowd, which burst into applause, as he listed legislative accomplishments under GOP control.

snip>

[RDANGELO]

15. This explains a lot.

Ruman said the state planned to distribute the lists to county election boards by next week. In addition, he said, the state intends to send letters this summer to all voters without PennDot ID telling them of the new law, the types of ID that will be necessary to vote in November, and how to obtain suitable ID if they need it.


Why wouldn't they do that immediately after passing the bill, unless this was about voter suppression.

[Omaha Steve]

16. Mom's ID expired

To get into a HUD subsidized senior apartment she needed a copy of her marriage certificate to renew her state ID. She never drove. When the county went from paper, to micro film, to digital it was misfiled. It took over a week for the county to find it. And she had to pay the fee. Sounds like a poll tax to me!

K&R!

[progree]

19. Here's one of those super-arse lists that makes it sound like you need your photo ID to exist:

I am a "legal" native born American citizen.
And I MUST show my ID when:
I'm pulled over by the police.
Making purchases on my department store credit card.
When I show up for a doctor's appointment.
When filling out credit card or loan applications.
When applying for or renewing a driver's liscense or passport.
When applying for any kind of insurance.
When filling out college applications.
When donating blood.
When obtaining prescription drugs.
When collecting a boarding pass for airline or train travel.
Even when renting a DVD or tape.

I'm sure there are more instances, but the point is that we citizens of the U.S.A. are required to prove
who we are nearly every day. So, why should people in this country illegally be exempt?

==========================================================
Anyway, this is one of many such nonsense lists that the greed-bangers are posting everywhere. Oddly its missing "when buying a beer", I heard some greed-banger say that on the PBS Newshour.

[SoCalDem]

23. Apples & Kumquats

the events on the "list" are there to prove AGE and identity..not citizenship

I like the idea of someone not being able to use my credit to buy something.

[progree]

35. The point of the list is that 90% of it is baloney

I have not had to show my ID in the vast majority of circumstances on the list. Its a bogus piece of right wing manure to argue that virtually anybody that exists and does any shopping already has a photo ID that will qualify under the greed-banger voter ID laws (where your name and address must exactly match their voter registration information, for example, and must be a government issued ID). Well, it just ain't so. It is not hard to find most of this list being debunked on the Internet. I certainly haven't been carded on a number of items on the list, and that includes applying for credit.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. kick

[WI_DEM]

27. If they steal it this is how they will do it.

[LynneSin]

30. This is why I'm going to help the campaigns in Philly and not Delaware

Delaware is a done deal for the democrats. THey are going to need all the help they can get in Philly.

[BumRushDaShow]

32. There are multiple lawsuits in play

to halt this law in its tracks.

One of the biggest issues is the fact that Philly has had a large migration of southern blacks since WW2 who have lived here for decades (the city ballooned from 3% black to over 40% during that time) but don't have a birth certificate from their state of origin and have had difficulty getting such. Rev. Sharpton highlighted a few of these folks over the past 6 months on his show.

We have been there done that with purges - something that they did in the '90s and the hope is that despite the voter suppression crap, we can prevail. The irony is that the assumptions point to suppressing urban votes yet they somehow believe it won't impact their own rethugs too? Of course they must expect that there will be alot of wink winks going on for themselves while they will make sure they have O'Keefe-like monitors in the cities.