Thousands of Pennsylvania voters are trying to get their newly-required photo identifications in hand before the November election, but the task is proving difficult because of a number of problems, including the fact that many counties don’t have drivers license centers.
According to the
Pittsburg Post-Gazette, some voters are also having a difficult time getting needed birth certificates, social security cards, or other documents required to apply for the new voter photo IDs that were approved earlier this year by the Republican-controlled state legislature.
With time growing short before the election, the newspaper reported there appears to be no state-sponsored organized effort to help people. As a result, a large collection of civic groups called the Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition is trying to help identify and locate an estimated 758,939 people who don’t have a state-issued drivers license or some other form of accepted photo identification.
“Time is clearly of the essence,” Zack Stalberg, a lead organizer, told the Post-Gazette. “Trying to deal with this in September, October, or November is going to be very difficult. We’re trying to use July and August as effectively as possible.”
The Pennsylvania voter photo ID law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in March, has come under fire from Democrats, who claim it is aimed at suppressing poor, young, and older voters. The American Civil Liberties Union has also filed a lawsuit seeking to block its implementation.
Arguments are scheduled for next month.
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