Here's what it took for me to get a License and Voter Card in Pennsylvania…

[onehandle]

Last edited Thu Sep 13, 2012, 12:40 PM - Edit history (4)

My wife and I are new residents here. Here's what it took for me:

1) My Driver's License.

2) Identification for U.S. Citizens: I produced my Passport.
(Alternatives: Birth Certificate with raised seal, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization)

3) Two Documents for Proof of Residency: I produced the lease for our home and our electric bill.
(Alternatives with PA Address: Tax Records, Mortgage Documents, W-2 Form, Current Weapons Permit, Current Utility Bill - but not cell phone bills)

4) My Social Security Card (I still have my original which I signed when I was around ten years old)

On the up side, I was able to register to vote, as a Democrat, in my county, on the spot. They issued me a temporary license. I'll receive the permanent and a voter card 'within 30 days.'

My wife accidentally put her Social Security card in storage out of state. Thank God I had her Passport. She can get a new one from the Social Security Administration by presenting it. But that's just another hoop to jump through.

Imagine what the poor, elderly, and students need to do to produce all this.

There were a lot of older people, mostly with a family member, getting 'simple' ID cards just so they can vote this year. But for every one, I bet there are several who will be screwed by lack of information, physical capability, and cost.

The weirdest thing was that the place I went looked like it was from 1985. And what music was being piped in as I arrived? ...We Are The World... From 1985!

Anyway. I can vote.

Looking forward to winning PA for the President and booting out the teabagger Governor in two years.

On Edit: It took three hours of waiting. Several times, clerks would disappear for ten to thirty minutes.

One Edit 2: I had to drive ten miles or spend 2.5 hours on train/bus to get my I.D. in PA.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Ga has exact same requirements

[RebelOne]

52. Yes, I live in Georgia

and have to renew my driver's license in January 2014 and do not have all the documentation required. I can't find my original birth certificate nor do I have my original social security card. So I will have to get those documents. At least I have a year to compile all the info.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Thanks for your story.........and for perservering!

[jimlup]

3. Wow that is pretty onerous

I couldn't come up with all of those on demand...

[onehandle]

4. Most people couldn't. Especially the poor, elderly, and students.

All part of the plan.

I barely had the right assembly of stuff.

[savalez]

56. Seems like one can easily not meet the Proof of Residency requirements

Lease document: Some don't lease.
Electric bill: Only one person's name is on it. What if it's not yours?
Tax Records: Some do not do taxes because they do not earn money.
Mortgage Documents: Not everyone owns a house.
W-2 Form: Some do not work.
Current Weapons Permit: Really?
Current Utility Bill: Only one person's name is on it. What if it's not yours?

[spinbaby]

5. I've lived in PA for decades

I don't recall that I ever had to present any ID for a driver's license back when I first got one in the 60s. My license is certainly no proof of citizenship or where I live or of anything except that I've been driving in PA for a long time.

[hobbit709]

6. 3 years ago when I had to renew my TX driver's license.

I showed up just like I have before wit my old license in hand. I was told my "citizenship status" was in question.
I said "It's a DRIVER'S license, not a citizenship license"
I ended up having to bring in my Austrian birth certificate, the original notarized(in Austria) English translation, my State Department form stating I am an American citizen by birth, my DD-214, SS card, etc.
Then they still wanted to quibble. I said that I served in the United States Air Force and held a Top Secret clearance and didn't have to produce all this.

[onehandle]

8. Do you have a 'funny name' like I do?

I was born in the U.S. but have a very French name.

Doesn't help.

[hobbit709]

9. Nope. Normal sounding and looking English name.

[Art_from_Ark]

76. Did you not have a Consular Certificate of Birth?

Usually, that's what Americans who are born overseas get in lieu of a state-issued birth certificate-- although the birth must be reported to a US embassy or consulate within 5 years, I think.

[hobbit709]

82. That was the State Department DS-1350 I had.

[K Gardner]

7. This is important info.. thank you for sharing a real-time experience with what

voters will need to go through to vote. I cannot imagine being an elderly person, perhaps with low income and disabilities, and needing to PROVE who you are and have been for seven or eight decades.

[justanaverageguy]

10. What do you propose that a person should have to provide?

I mean surely we can agree that you must provide some sort of documentation right??

[Lex]

11. No, I don't. I give them my name and address and I vote. My name is marked off

the list and no one else can vote under my name.

"Voter fraud" is a statistically non-existent problem, created by republicans to try to keep people from voting.

[justanaverageguy]

13. I'm not asking about what you would have to provide on voting day.

I'm asking about what you would have to provide to get your DL and your voter ID card. that's what the original post was about. If all I had to do to get those document was supply my name and address without any evidence that I'm telling the truth I could get multiple driver's licenses and register in multiple districts to vote. I could vote A LOT !!!!

[LanternWaste]

19. Has this been a typical problem in any elections,

" I could vote A LOT !!!!"

Has this been a typical problem in any elections, or is it merely a staticical aberration which has produced absolutely no change to any electoral outcome, and whose only current solution results in the disenfranchisement of voters?



However, if we are attempting to find solutions to non-existent problems, we should also work on legislation which would reduce the amount of shark attacks in Nebraska

[Flatulo]

37. So how many fraudulent votes would you consider important enough

to merit concern? Bush took Florida because he got 537 more votes counted than Gore, out of millions counted.

I don't care if even one vote is fraudulent. That's too many.

In my town, I can easily vote once for every person that doesn't show up. Given our usual lackluster voter turnout, I could conceivably vote dozens of times. So could anyone else.

Or doesnt anyone recall the 2000 debacle, where the refrain was "Count every vote"? Or should that have been "Count every DEMOCRATIC vote"?

It certainly seems to me that the lack of concern with voter fraud has nothing to do with poor grandma having to show ID. I bet if she had to produce an ID to get her SS benefits, she'd figure out a way to do it. So would the poor and sickly.

[Nikia]

40. You don't think that is possible that a poll worker might be on to you if you tried that

To vote dozens of times in a town pretending to be other people, you would have to go to different polling places or count on the fact that the poll workers won't notice that you have already been there. You would have to know which people aren't going to show up because if they do, there will probably be an investigation. You would also have to be sure that the poll workers and anyone within ear shot of you giving the name neither recognizes you nor the person that you are impersonating. If you succeed in the impersonation, you get an extra vote. If you fail, you get arrested for a serious crime.
It doesn't really seem worth it to me if I were such a dishonest person. The fact that arrest for such a crime is very low, makes me think that almost everyone thinks that way as well.

[Flatulo]

53. I think you're missing my point. Sure it's possible for one to get caught

trying to vote a dozen times. But it's also possible to not get caught, or to get away with just voting a few times. I have no idea who my poll workers are, and they have no idea who I am. All I would have to do is know of a few people in my precinct who don't vote, either friends or neighbors. With turnouts usually being below 50% surely you'd agree that this isn't impossible, or even difficult.

The point is that it is simply impossible to tell how much voter fraud is committed. I don't know if it's a lot or a little, because getting away with it makes it pretty much undetectable. It's like students cheating on tests - if they get away with it, then it remains undetected. There's no smoking gun as evidence that a malfeasance ever took place.

I understand the poll tax argument, and I'm fine with that. But don't tell me in the next breath that every vote is sacred, when I know damn well that it isn't.

[Nikia]

68. The risk of getting caught outweighs the chance that the election will be affected

I think that is pretty safe to say. Although we never know how close an election will be, most statewide and large city elections are decided by more than a few or even few dozen votes. The elections that are likely to be decided by small margins are at the neighborhood or small locality level. In smaller communities, you or the person that you would be impersonating are more likely to be recognized whether or not you are aware of it. It would also be risky for you to go to the same polling place even if the poll workers don't know you or the person you are impersonating because many people do notice if someone is there twice or more. After all of that, your extra votes might not even count. You would be far better off convincing those people who you know aren't voting to vote your way.
If you were a poll or election official, you would have a greater chance of successfully committing voter fraud in a meaningful way. Voter id has nothing to do with this of course.

[ozsea1]

41. How many "miscounted" votes on Diebold voting maching are too much?

Really, your concern is misplaced and as a result, you're asking the wrong questions.

Either that, or you're a troll. Whatever you're getting paid, it's too much....

[Flatulo]

54. The voting machine problems are a completely different issue.

Although, as I've noted here in the past and gotten flamed for it, I see no reason why democrats could not hack the vote as easy as republicans, or anarchists or anyone else for that matter.

Your outrage over Diebold is duly noted.

Now would you care to answer my question, which was how many fraudulent votes would constitute a problem, given that we got Bush by only 537?

Or does calling me a troll constitute a win in your book?

[ozsea1]

58. When you produce no factual evidence of voter fraud

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/08/the_fake_voter_fraud_epidemic_and_the_2012_electio.php

then your level of "concern" has reached the level of trolldom.

[Flatulo]

60. Depends on who you cite. TPM is quite left-wing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/voter-id-laws-are-good-protection-against-fraud/2011/07/08/gIQAGnURBI_story.html

"In fact, I presented this information to the Kansas legislature in January, and the numbers were extensively reported by the media. The 221 incidents of voter fraud included absentee ballot fraud, impersonation of another voter and other crimes. The vast majority of the cases were never investigated fully because Kansas county attorneys lack the time and resources to pursue voter fraud at the expense of other criminal investigations. Of the approximately 30 cases that were fully investigated, seven resulted in prosecutions. All seven yielded convictions."

So there's one case. I don't know if you'll accept the source or not. But you're still dodging my original question - how many cases of voter fraud would constitute a problem? Would 537 be too many?

By the way, since you're relatively new here, you may not be aware that it is against DU rules to call or insinuate that another poster is a troll r is being paid to post. Thanks in advance for desisting.

[ozsea1]

84. Nice try !

Kris Kobach is hardly imparital. From his wiki page -

Kris W. Kobach (born March 26, 1966) is the Secretary of State of Kansas.[1] He is also currently of counsel with the Immigration Law Reform Institute,[2] the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

He is a former chairman of Kansas Republican Party and city councilman in Overland Park, Kansas. He ran unsuccessfully for Kansas's 3rd congressional district in 2004. In May 2009, he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Secretary of State.[3] In August 2010, he won the Republican nomination for Secretary of State in a three-way race, carrying 50 percent of the vote, and was elected Secretary of State in the general election in a 59–37 percent vote.

Interesting that you would label TPM "quite left-wing" and source a republicon sec of state. Hmmm.

Ok, here's another link -

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/policy_brief_on_the_truth_about_voter_fraud/


You are also aware that republicon officials in PA and FL, for example, have admitted that their intention is not to prevent the extremely few independently verifiable instances of voter fraud that you're sooooo concerned about, but to suppress voter turnout from certain groups that tend to vote Democratic, like sudents, Latinos and AAs...?.....

See, I think you know this already and since you are aware this is a Democratic site, why do you think your "concern" should go unchallenged?

Thanks for playin'....

[Flatulo]

85. You've completely missed my point, several times. I'm going to try again.

First of all, I really don't give a flying fuck about voter fraud. Truly. What I do give a flying fuck about is hypocrisy, and I see it in spades when I hear democrats go on about the complete and utter sanctity of each and every vote, yet go mute when the subject of voter fraud is brought up.

I know that documented cases are rare. I don't care.

If you want to pour your energy into voting machine technology reform, fine. I heartily agree that we need fully transparent tabulation and record keeping. But don't pretend to care about every single vote when all one has to do to vote twice is to vote twice. There are simply no protections against it, and it is a fuck of a lot easier to do than tampering with electronic machines.

Anyone who claims to care about each and every vote has some serious mental gymnastics to do when they pooh-pooh voter fraud.

And anyone who claims that there are vast multitudes of people in this country that are simply unable to, under any circumstances, prove who they are, is smoking something. Something as sacred as the vote (and we do agree that it is sacred, I assume) is too important to leave to someone walking in off the street and claiming they are so and so with absolutely no proof of it.

And thanks for the biographical background of Kris Kobach, but I don't care if he's a Chinese tea salesman. Can you show that the convictions he refers to for voter fraud did not happen? I'd like to see a source for that.

All these republicans who are pushing voter ID laws obviously want as few peopleas possible to vote for democrats. And likewise, democrats want as many people as possible to vote for democrats. What a shock! But I agree with the Repubs on this. You should be able to prove who you are to vote.

If you simply can't stand to exist on the same site with me for holding this view, then I suggest you use the block feature.

[ozsea1]

86. Sure, you "should be able to prove who you are to vote"

In the absence of voter fraud evidence - widespread or otherwise - and as there is no legally compelling reason to do so, the voter verfication process prior to recent republicon "concern" was and still is sufficient.

This is just strawman stuff:

If you simply can't stand to exist on the same site with me for holding this view

You're trolling republicon talking points on a Democratic site. Nothing more or less.

[Flatulo]

87. I'm comfortable making up my own mind on a wide variety of issues.

I don't need anyone's 'talking points' to help me out. I look at both sides of an issue and make up my own mind based on the best objective data and thought process that I can bring to bear. I do not march in lockstep with any particular ideology.

I'm comfortable in my opinions, and I'm comfortable expressing them on occasion here at DU. When the mods decide that I've violated the site rules, they're perfectly within their rights to delete my posts or ban me.

We obviously disagree on this issue, but your repeated insuation that I'm a troll isn't appreciated. Please stop doing this.

[ozsea1]

88. Your points regarding voter fraud are debunked

and therefore not a difference of opinion, but fact.

Have a good weekend.

[Flatulo]

89. Here's a cite I found from SCOTUS J. P. Stevens...

I can't attest to the veracity of this quote, but it pops up quite frequently in Google searches:

"Unfortunately, the United States has a long history of voter fraud that has been documented by historians and journalists."

Stevens purportedly wrote this opinion in the 2008 SCOTUS case that upheld (6 to 3) Indiana's voter ID law. Now Indiana's law may have been less draconian than the Texas law that was just struck down. I don't know. But I think any valid photo ID would suffice. Drivers license, college ID, credit card, etc.

So your claim that this issue has been debunked seems to be a matter of opinion.

Anyway, have a good weekend yourself. Don't let yourself get worked up by some random poster on the Internet.

[gollygee]

42. Even one is too many?

OK let's really look at this. You could affect the election by one fraudulent vote, or a few (as this has been studied and there aren't many), or you could affect the election by tons of votes through complicated and expensive rules that amount to the creation of a poll tax. Why are you only concerned about those few potential fraudlent votes? Why not the many legitimate voters who will not be able to jump through these hoops?

[Flatulo]

55. Because I see a lot of hypocrisy in the concern here over the sanctity of every single

solitary vote, yet utter disregard for voter fraud, even though the problem may or may not be minuscule.

I get flamed for this all the time, so no worries, I have a thick skin.

[Bandit]

59. In this day and age virtually everyone is in the system in one way or another

All they would need is a computer and access to state/federal records. There is no reason in Hell getting proper ID should be such an onerous ordeal.. As a matter of fact one does indeed have to produce ID to get Social Security and your entire work record is easily accessible to the Social Security Dept...

[Flatulo]

61. Exactly. All this faux concern about the unreasonable burden this would place on

the poor and elderly strike me as quite disingenuous. The poor and elderly certainly need to prove who they are to collect SS or unemployment benefits, food stamps, etc.

[Nikia]

70. I'm not sure that you do need id for those things

I got Badgercare (Wisconsin's state insurance for poor families) without showing id to anyone. I filled out a form online, was interviewed by phone, and sent back a signed form that had been mailed to my address. I was also able to cancel benefits by phone although I was notified by mail that the benefits would be cancelled so if someone had impersonating me I could have contested it.
I assume that other programs for the poor are the same.
What you do need id for is work. It seems like most workplaces want to check two forms of id. The last place that I worked that did not was a fast food place in 2000. I think that most places do now and it might be federally required with changes made after 9/11. Not everyone is in the workforce though.

[Flatulo]

73. The person who was insured is the person who lives at your address. When

you go to seek medical attention or pick up a prescription, you will probably need to show a photo ID. I have to every time I go to the pain clinic (monthly) at the local hospital. I also need to show ID every time I pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy, no matter how innocuous. I had to show an ID to get nasal spray.

I pray the thousands of voters who will be disenfranchised by voter ID laws never get a sinus infection.

[Nikia]

75. I have heard of that but I have never had to show id for my prescriptions

Or at the doctor's office or hospital. It seems like they use date of birth as a type of id because they have asked me for it at various times. I know that my doctor knows who I am because she talked to me at a race last fall and called me by name. For various tests I've had though, I doubt that they recognize me.
The two regular pharmacists at the independently owned store might recognize me, but there were two occaisions where I had never seen the pharmacist before and they did not ask either. I don't think that I had to produce an id card initially when I came to town 6 years ago although I showed my insurance card when I got it and when that information changed.

[Nikia]

69. I requested a SS card for my son when he was born

Through a form. No one asked to see my id or my son who obviously did not have one.
When I needed to get my name changed on my SS card after I was unable to renew my license, it was a big ordeal. I wish I had done it sooner, but I'm sure that other women who changed their name upon marriage forgot as well.

[angstlessk]

94. Oh really...well my experience is different..I am a woman

I had a valid drivers license from another state, a birth certificate, and a social security card to get a drivers license in a different state..but because the name on my birth certificate was different than my current MARRIED name I still needed my marriage license!...sorry..it ain't as ease as it looks!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

63. "Even one is too many"

So your response is to disenfranchise potentially thousands of legitimate, mostly longtime voters, many of whom are elderly and don't keep up on these stories like you or I do?

You solution is like using a machine gun to mow down a crowd of people because one may have a contagious illness.

[Flatulo]

71. I think the numbers of legal voters who would be disenfranchised is exaggerated.

Look, I'm not oblivious to what's going on here. Republicans are anxious to disenfranchise as many potential democratic voters as possible. Democrats are anxious to get as many poor, elderly and minority (hence dem) voters to the polls as possible. If the Republicans had their way, only white, educated landowners could vote. If the Democrats has their way, your blind cat would be able to vote.

I'm just going to continue to call out what I perceive to be hypocrisy when I see it, until I get banned or bored or drop dead. For the party whose refrain was "every vote is sacred" to pooh-pooh away voter fraud just because it apparently doesn't occur very often is hypocritical. There's just no way around it.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

77. "If the Democrats has their way, your blind cat would be able to vote."

Wow. I think you really need to take an assessment of yourself. Sounds to me like you aren't a Democrat.

[Flatulo]

79. I'm registered as an independent, but I've supported and voted for Dems

for over 20 years, since GWB. But I'm a realist and I understand that the Dems represent the interests of the middle and lower classes, which means that it is in their best interests to get as many of this demographic as possible to the polls.

The Republicans most assuredly do not represent my interests, as I am disabled and surviving on SSDI these days. I honestly believe that if Romney is elected, me and millions others like myself will get kicked to the curb.

This does not mean that I am slavishly devoted to all the Dem talking points. I honestly do not see the big deal with requiring people to prove who they are to vote.

I don't intentionally mean to offend anyone with my posts, but I tend to call them as I see them. Bullshit never helped anybody.

I do appreciate your civility.

[The Wielding Truth]

29. Why don't we just use our voters original registration cards?

[Butterbean]

50. That's exactly how my husband's vote got stolen in the 2008 election.

Because someone gave his name and address (all that is required to vote in NC) and voted in his name. When he went to vote, he was told he had already voted. This happened during early voting. So yeah, it happens, and it happens to just plain normal people.

[onehandle]

12. As a new resident? My driver's license and a single bill or statement with my address...

...to get a license.

If I was local? A single bill or statement with my address to vote.

Voter fraud is a Right-Wing Democratic Voter Suppression Tactic. Period.

[justanaverageguy]

14. I'd be comfortable with that for a voter's card but....

the original post also addressed getting your DL as well. You gotta provide something to get a DL right?? Some people act like providing anything is a unreasonable burden.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. There should be no need for a voters ID card.

Ever. You should simply be able to register in your district take in your registration on election day, and vote. Voter fraud is made up. There's no reason to "fix" something which isn't broken.

As to the drivers license, an out of state license and your word on your address should work. Why should a person have to provide proof beyond that? You're paying to drive legally in that state.

What if you've moved there and are staying in the home of another resident? Should you drive illegally?

I don't get these new laws. I really don't.

[geardaddy]

23. Don't buy into the Gooper voter fraud paranoia.

They're just trying to make it hard to vote.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

65. My mother has an expired driver's license

She hasn't driven in over 20 years, but renewed for awhile until she let it finally lapse.

They were giving her shit at the polls because her ID WITH HER FUCKING PICTURE ON IT.....WAS EXPIRED!

Are you cool with that? If you are, you really should leave this site now.

It's utter bullshit. The people behind this are doing EVERYTHING they can to steal people's rights via any loophole they can....the same people who are making up total bullshit about the administration taking people's guns and whining about health care. Fucking assholes are traitors to this nation.

[Flatulo]

81. In her case, the poll worker was an idiot. Inviolate rules are often a poor substitute for

common sense. Your mom clearly proved who she was.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

90. I can assure you all these laws have the words "valid driver's license/ID"

The poll worker could be an idiot but is following the letter of the law. They would almost certainly be backed up by the law if they were taken to court. I worked in a position doing background checks for new workers at a large banking center. If someone came in with an expired license, we had to turn them away. Even if it was not noticed and got into the paperwork, a copy of the person's ID would be rejected by the FBI. Expired = invalid in legal terms.

[pnwmom]

26. Why wouldn't a single driver's license with a photo (or other state ID)

be sufficient?

OR a combination of other I.D.'s, such as a birth certificate and proof of residence.

In order to get a driver's license you have to supply multiple I.D's.

[Gormy Cuss]

30. A declaration that one is an American citizen and that one resides at a specific residence

and when such a declaration is signed and witnessed by a public official, it becomes a legally binding document.

That's how it used to be done in many states.

[uponit7771]

44. Provide what's worked in the past, don't come up with new shit in minority areas that at the last

....min

[Cosmocat]

48. Same things people have produced for decades

when they get to their polling place - a photo ID the first time and nothing past that.

During which time you can count on one hand the number of voter fraud cases that have been prosecuted.

[Le Taz Hot]

83. Nothing.

We don't have ANY of that in California. In fact, the Gov. just signed legislation allowing Californians to register to vote and to be able to vote on the same day if they choose. See, the whole idea is to make it EASIER to practice Democracy, not harder.

[CreekDog]

15. if you're 18 and living at your parents' house, how would you produce a bill with your address?

especially one that isn't a cell phone bill?

and tax records? what if you don't file? (low income)

yikes.

as a Californian I'm horrified by what you had to go through.

i also think the Pennsylvania rules preventing absentee voting are ridiculously restrictive (i'm a vote by mail voter myself here and have been for 9 years).

[justanaverageguy]

16. That's an interesting point....

Surely they have some sort of way around that. It could impact too many people not too.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

64. Why don't you find what the "way around that" is and post it for us?. nt

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

66. I'm sure the pro voter ID idiots are right on top of it

Yup....I bet. Sure they have a plan all worked out!

Sheesh....get educated. Really. These people want to steal your fucking rights and you're making excuses for them to line up and hand it over.

[1monster]

31. I had to go with my eighteen year old son and provide my ID and vouch that he was

my son and lived with me. He had his Birth Certificate and Social Security Card. I had two bills, one from the water utilities and one from Florida Power and Electric to prove my residency. Florida

[starroute]

34. Or if you're older and move in with friends or relatives

My #2 son was living out on the West Coast when my #1 son moved out to live with him. He was able to use a bank statement with his address on it as proof of residency to register to vote, but that was the only thing he had available.

This was just two months after he'd moved out there (he was eager to vote in the 2008 primary) and even aside from not having utilities in his name, he hadn't established much of a paper trail in general. How do they expect people to deal with it if the law says "two months residency required to become a registered voter" but two months isn't enough to provide the necessary proofs?

[Junkdrawer]

17. If this law isn't struck down, there will be scenes at the polls....

Imagine a big police presence just to keep violence at the polls at bay...

[uponit7771]

45. +1

[sweetapogee]

18. In 2004

I moved to PA (from NJ) and had the exact same requirements to get my PA drivers license. Had to drive 25 miles to the MV center. Took almost 4 hours total.

[theHandpuppet]

21. Here's what I need just to renew my driver's license in W Virginia

1. Birth certificate (original or certified copy) or valid passport (hospital birth certificates not acceptable).
2. Proof of SSN (original SS card, or wage & tax statement with employer's ID # plus SS number, or Social Security benefit form).
3. TWO proofs of WV residency (Thank God I have two of the documents listed as required! Any more and I would have been out of luck.)
4. Proof of legal name change -- via court order, divorce decree, birth certificate, marriage certificate.

Mind you, I'll be 60 yo in October and have been voting and driving ever since it was legal for me to do so.

[Brigid]

22. I went thru something similar last year.

I moved from one town to another within IN, so all I really nneded to do was change my address on my ID. But I had to produce two proofs of my new address, so it took two trips. I am able-bodied and have easy access to public transportation -- what about those not so lucky?

[geardaddy]

24. Renewing a license in MN.

1. Show 'em your expired license.
2. Take eye test.
3. Show proof of insurance (if you have a car).
4. Take the picture.

I don't know remember what it's like to apply for a new one.

But after November, it could be a lot different. We have a Voter ID thingy on the ballot this year.

[1monster]

25. After all that you still have to wait for thirty days for your license? In Florida, you

get the licesne or ID card immediately on the spot. And have done since I moved here thirty-eight years ago.

How the heck can Pennsylvania be so far behind the times technologically? It is simply not feasible.

Florida, however, does have the same requirements for proof of citizeship and residency.

[MrDiaz]

27. In Texas

I filled out my voter registration card, and they sent me my voters card, when i go to the polls, i have to either show them my ID or my Voters card.

[1monster]

35. We get new voter's cards in the mail every election year. However, they are "informational" only.

They are useless at the polls and are provided only to tell us where we vote and what voting districts we are in.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

62. The poster meant voter registration card.

It has your name, your district and your address. You present it at the polls and it's checked against the roll to make sure you've not already voted or requested an absentee ballot. If not you're good to go.

We don't send out anything telling you where your polling place is in Texas. As such I've often had people come into the wrong polling place only to be sent across town minutes before the polls close.

[1monster]

72. It is a voter registration card. However, they are not accepted at the polls. Only a state issued

ID is accepted. The voter registration card used to be accepted. Not anymore.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

74. They tried that here, too.

We dispute it and take it to court. We win, they appeal to a higher court.

We just won again today. The next stop will be the Supreme Court.

Texas Dems are a feisty bunch.

[yardwork]

28. My mother had quite an experience in North Carolina.

My mom does not have a driver's license. She has a photo id from the state where she used to live. She took that photo id and her social security card, passport, and a recent bill to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a North Carolina state id. Unfortunately, her social security card had been laminated many years ago when people thought that was a good idea. DMV refused to accept the laminated card as proof of identity, even though she had a valid passport and other documents. So she took a cab to the Department of Social Services where she waited in line for 4 hours to apply for a new social security card. When that arrived, she was allowed to return to DMV to obtain a state id.

Fortunately, North Carolina does not yet require all these draconian identifications to vote, but if the Republicans are reelected this fall they promise to impose that on us.

[mwooldri]

92. It's a heck of a change from the 1990s.

In 1998 I obtained a North Carolina Learners' Permit. At that time I was a visitor to the USA, and I was visiting my then girlfriend (she's now my wife). All I had was my UK passport, and something that was mailed in my name to my wife's address. No Social Security number. No prior ties to the USA. Took the test, handed over $10, asked to smile nicely for my picture - hey presto... I have NC State ID.

Patriot Act made it tougher (introducing a social security number requirement among other things.).

I think voter registration should be tightened up, with proof of residence and some other things too. The NC registration system just seems too easy to me. I'm still on the fence for picture ID but if it is done the right way without disenfranchising anyone then I suppose it will be OK. Northern Ireland is IMO a good case study for voter ID laws - what works, what doesn't, when it went wrong what were the fixes, etc. Forget the rest of the UK's registration system - it is truly stuck in the 19th Century.

[calimary]

32. THANK YOU for this report, onehandle!

Glad you're able to vote. This is an absolute ATROCITY!!!! In The United States of America this is going on?!?!?!?! ASTOUNDING!!!

Thank you for posting this so others can see. I bet this will help at least a few people understand what they need to do, or what they need to help a friend do, to be allowed the simple American right to vote.

[BumRushDaShow]

33. Welcome to PA

where the teabaggers slid in during the 2010 election in the midgst of the state having reached a remarkable 1.2 million Democratic Party voter registration advantage over rethugs.

[barbtries]

36. that is so wrong.

so wrong. you had to produce all FOUR of those things?!
is the ACLU fighting this? that is immensely burdensome, and it is NOT supposed to be this hard to participate in a supposedly representative democracy.

[drm604]

51. The PA ACLU is fighting this.

The PA Supreme Court is hearing it next, I think in a week or two. There's no way our DMVs can issue IDs to all the people who need them in time.

[barbtries]

57. that alone should at least get ruling

or an injunction between now and the election.

i am just so sick of republicans

[drm604]

78. It should at least get it put on hold until after the election.

Whether it will or not remains to be seen.

[triplepoint]

38. Voter Suppression is the MAIN REASON rePIGs may win back the White House

It must be stopped BEFORE this November. Better get used to in-you-face fascism otherwise.

[uponit7771]

46. It worked in 2000 and 2004, the BIG story isn't the recount it's how the caged black voters in FL

[Pakid]

39. Glad you had an easy time with our son it was a different story

He is just out of high school he does not have a driver license he lives at home so no bills in his name They didn't like his original birth certificate we had to get a new one. It took us 3 trips and me getting mad to get his Id card. What a farces since he has vote before.

[spanone]

43. most people won't go through that much.....mission accomplished

[EC]

47. Does the state reinburse for money spent

to get docs for the ID? They should at least allow a tax deduction for amounts spent or it's a poll tax in my book.

I'd have to get the BC since all I have is the hospital copy and it has no raised seal. I'll never move to Penn anyway.

[KansDem]

49. Welcome to U.S. citizenship!

Happy to have you with us!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

67. Make no mistake....Republicans hate voter registration

It fucking pisses them off every time they saw a drive....they are going to go out of their way to end all of that.

[mrmpa]

80. Welcome to PA and all its dysfunction............eom

[SoapBox]

91. It's criminal...

and hard to believe that the road blocks that have been put in place, making it HARD to vote (isn't that an American's Constitutional right?) are not illegal.

Ok, so I'll say that ID is a good thing...and keeping our voting system honest is good...BUT, BUT, BUT the state MUST get an ID to all it's citizens and if such citizens are elderly, disabled, etc....the state has the obligation to get the ID to them.

Just my thoughts!

[mwooldri]

93. Geesh, and I thought Northern Ireland was bad.

Northern Ireland is almost as bad. Almost.

No DMV office, so everything has to be done by mail or at one of the few electoral registration offices. In some cases original documents need to be sent. Getting a picture id for voting is much easier though - if you have absolutely no picture id, an elected official can vouch for you.