A judge postponed Pennsylvania’s voter ID law on Tuesday, October 2, ordering that the new requirements could not be enforced until after the presidential election. Although the court’s ruling would not stop the law from going into effect next year, it is possible that the court could issue a permanent injunction, which would effectively overturn the law. The Court decided that the state did not adequately ensure that people could easily acquire the necessary identification in order to vote on Election Day. If in place, the law could have prevented as many as 759,000 eligible voters – mostly young, elderly, disabled and low-income – from casting their ballot on November 6.
For the hundreds of SEIU members and allies that led the work in this fight,and the thousands of Pennsylvanians that will benefit, this ruling is a huge victory for democracy. But the battle is not over yet. We must make sure people get to the polls to elect President Obama and other candidates that will stand up for working families.
On Election Day – What You Need to Know
Poll workers will still ask voters for a photo ID, but no voter will be prohibited from voting if they don’t have one. First-time voters and voters registering for the first time in a new voting division will still be required to show an acceptable form of ID. Acceptable forms of ID – which can be either a photo or non-photo ID – include a PA driver’s license, a photo ID card issued by the Department of State, a current utility bill, bank statement or paycheck, among others. The non-photo IDs must contain the voter’s name and address.
Questions? Call the coalition hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or visit www.Seventy.org/voterID.