PA ID, elderly voters, and absentee ballots

[spinbaby]

My mother's PA drivers license expires in October. She doesn't plan to renew it because she's in her high 80s and lives at one of those assisted-living senior centers that will give her a ride to wherever she wants to go. She's going to get a state ID instead so she can vote in person. Anyway, she believed that you don't need an ID to vote absentee and told me that many of the older, sicker residents don't have drivers licenses anymore and generally feel it's too much trouble to get a state ID, but that's okay because they vote absentee.

When I checked the PA site for the story on ID and absentee ballots, I found that it's actually true that you can vote absentee without picture ID by providing the last four digits of your SS number.

http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/how_to_vote/13515/voting_by_absentee_ballot/

I think we may have found a work-around for people without photo ID.

[enough]

1. I think this will turn out to be a good solution for many individuals, but it would be difficult to

advocate this as a mass solution, because the law in PA is clear that you are not allowed to vote absentee unless you will actually be out of the area or unable to get to the polls that day.

This means many of the elderly may have a "legitimate" reason to vote absentee (difficulty of getting to the polls). But most of the non-elderly people who do not have a drivers license would not be legally permitted to vote absentee, because they would theoretically be able to get to the polls as usual.

Still, I agree it will be a good approach for many people.

Below is the relevant portion of the regulations on absentee voting in PA:

http://www.longdistancevoter.org/pennsylvania#.T_8A1nDWlVg

You may vote absentee in PA if you are:

snip>

An individual who, because of the elector's duties, occupation or business (including attendance of college in another coutny/state, leaves of absence for teaching, vacations and sabbatical leaves), expects on Election Day to be absent from his/her municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open for voting and the spouse and dependents of such electors who are residing with or accompanying the elector and for that reason also expect to be absent from his/her municipality during the entire period the polls are open for voting (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

snip>

There are other categories of voters who may vote absentee (military, disabled, etc.) But you cannot vote absentee just because you prefer to do so.