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Allegheny County Offering Free Voter ID

Allegheny County is offering free Photo ID cards for any residents who need one to vote.

 

Allegheny County is offering two new ways for voters without proper Photo ID to get identification cards.

The Community College of Allegheny County and the county’s four Kane Hospital centers will be the hubs to issue specialized photo identification to any residents if they need one to vote.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Thursday morning announced the effort to get as many residents proper identification.

“I firmly believe that anyone who wants to participate in our democracy through elections should have every opportunity to do so. That is what we are doing today,” Fitzgerald said in a press release. “Through our Kane Regional Centers and CCAC, we are going to provide the ability for people to get the photo identification that they need to cast their ballot this November.”

State law now requires all voters to provide photo identification when they vote in every election. The ID must show a name that “substantially conforms” to the name on the voter rolls, include an expiration date and not be expired. They include passports, driver’s license, active military ID, state-issued ID cards and college ID cards.

“It is our hope that these measures will help to preserve access to this cornerstone of democracy,” CCAC President Alex Johnson said of the new procedures.

Kane Regional Centers and CCAC are still finalizing details of when and where these IDs will be offered. However, both said that an individual seeking an ID will need to be registered to vote and must also show another form of identification.

“The Voter ID law puts additional hoops in place to make it difficult to vote,” Fitzgerald said. “The restrictions are overly burdensome, particularly for seniors and people that don’t have the means to get the necessary documentation.”

This week, the state Supreme Court sent the Voter ID law back to Commonwealth Court for further review over concerns there were not enough alternative forms of photo identification. A decision on that is expected to be made in early October.

Related Topics: CCAC, Community College of Allegheny County, Kane Hospital, Law, Pennsylvania, Photo ID, and voter ID

william atwell

12:32 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sorry just find it funny that in the 21st century peoold are upset and fighting to have to show I'd

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joecon

6:05 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

Bill--I totally agree with you. I am getting tired of hearing that it is a conspiracy to prevent Democrats from voting!

Stephanie Davis

1:00 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

For many people, I don't think showing i.d. is a problem. However, this requirement targets groups of people who may not have i.d. because they don't drive, have credit cards, etc. I think people are confused about why all of a sudden i.d. is required for this election. Despite the confusion, it's good to read that Allegheny County has offered to help people currently without i.d.s so they can vote- showing empathy and concern for this population.

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bothsidesofthefence

5:27 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

I must respectfully disagree with your statement that the law "targets groups of people".. I would put forth that the law actually levels the playing field for ALL voters by applying the law to everyone and not carving exceptions out for this group and that group. Your statement would have been true during Jim Crow's time, in that certain groups were singled out to have to meet higher, silly standards designed to discourage them and in many cases actually preventing them from voting. This law did not become law overnight so people have had time to plan accordingly. An informed and prepared voter is a beautiful thing.

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cc

9:38 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

Again the same group that you are saying is targeted have ID to go down and get Welfare but don't have it to vote. It is their alias names that they are voting under that they can't get ID for and are boo hooing, because they won't be getting kick backs for voting many of times in different neighborhoods and voting places.

Carolyn Eidberger

1:14 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

You have to show I.D. to get a bottle of cold medicine at the store. I think that voting for the leaders of your country is just a little more important than that so I don't have a problem having to show I.D.

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paula m

8:01 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

You are missing the point. Obviously, you are fortunate enough to already have photo id. And I have no problem with showing ID to vote, but it's the timing of the whole thing that is questionable (as evidenced by Turzai's comments). Elderly, handicapped, poor just don't live the privileged life that most of us do. I'm shocked how many people think $10-$15 is so easy to cough up. Why not issue National Identity Cards to all citizens, as many other countries already do. And when that is complete, then request voter ID. Since when is the ability to drive a car the standard for identification.

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Mary

8:09 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

In order to get welfare you have to have a photo ID.....so if you are poor and get welfare, you have a photo ID

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Mary

8:10 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

Plus Allegheny county is offering them FREE.....so if you can't afford it and live in Allegheny county there is no excuse!

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cc

9:50 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

paula m, how long has now has PENNSYLVANIA had PHOTO ID cards in place for people that don't drive, 15 to 20 years now. You have to show Photo ID to buy meds, go to hospital, PT, do returns to stores, by cigarettes and alcohol, apply for welfare. I can remember when my NaNa went downtown and got her own PA ID card, she was 85 at the time and when she came home she called everyone in the family to tell us about her getting a Photo ID. She didn't have a birth certificate either and she used her paper that she used when she became a citizen of the United States back in 1954. She came to America legally from Italy in 1945 and in 1954 became a Citizen. It took 9 years back then to become a Citizen and still has the flag they gave her when she became a citizen.

william atwell

2:27 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

How do you live in the modern wold and not have ID? Honestly why should we as tax payers be footing a bill to make sure people have state issued ID? Sorry it's a excuse and the poor me mentality that has swept this country. Sorry $10.50 for a state issue ID is not that big of a hardship. And sorry just because you don't drive or have a credit card. I don't think the police will find it funny if they ask for ID and you show them your name on your belt buckle

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Mike Jones

2:32 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

Do you know how many people we talk to at Patch marketing events who don't have a computer or the Internet? Seems unthinkable to us on these message boards, but there are plenty of people out there still living in the 20th century.

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Margaret French

12:27 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

There are still people livingin the 19th century!

Mary

4:18 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

If you want to get an absentee ballot, you may use photo ID......or a valid Social Security Card.

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NE12Ukid

8:03 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

If you are not going to be absent from your local area/polling location you are not eligible for using an absentee ballot in PA.

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cc

1:19 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012

If you don't have valid ID you can get a provisional ballot to vote.

Mary

4:19 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

If you can't get to an ID location you may not be able to get to a polling place, so this is a way to still vote without a photo ID

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Ed M

6:52 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

Here's a link for absentee ballot rules. Scroll down to PA.
http://www.longdistancevoter.org/absentee_voting_rules#.UFxGxLJlTwN

You just can't "get" an absentee ballot.

Art Wegweiser

5:31 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

So who now bought off the Supreme Court to delay this suit? Friends of
Turzai and Corbett perhaps, or some getting desperate Romney/Ryan fans afraid that the $50K a plate sweethearts might not get to control things after all.

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joecon

6:09 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

I hope that it helps him---4 more years of Obama will finish the job & really wreck our country!!

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cc

10:01 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

Joe totally agree with you. The ones that can't get voter ID are all the illegal names that don't have valid birth certificates to go with the names. A friend who works for the Elections in Ohio, when they went to showing ID 10 years ago, they found that a forth of the names on the list were actually alias people voting in more than one voter place and they have removed all these names from the voting list. They did a search of all these names though records, they registered houses as their addresses that didn't exist, were living on vacant land with no buildings. They were able to remove all the people that has passed away but were never removed from their records. My friend said it was a very smart move when valid ID went into place in Ohio. They also have in place that if you don't vote in 3 consecutive elections, then your name is removed from their list. Voting is a privilege that we should do each election, whether it is a dog catcher running for office or the President of the United States.

Bill

6:45 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

I can't wait to donate my hard earned money to billionaires, lol!

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proud American

7:20 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012

Guess you are happy under President Obama then who wants to share the wealth Your hard earned money is going to be going to someone who is waiting for the government to give them what you worked for.

Sharon Smith Stout

10:20 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

It all seems so easy when you have a job that allows you the time off to spend the day at the DMV getting an ID, childcare, money to afford a car that requires you to have a license, are in good enough health and physically able to spend the day at the DMV, are fortunate enough to attend college so you have a college ID and than be lucky enough that the ID meets the requirements as not all college I.Ds are accepted. People that don't have an ID that meets the requirements to vote aren't necessarily trying to commit voter fraud, many are just hard working people that don't have the means or time to get one especially so close to the election. Voter fraud is actually committed more offer through absentee ballots. Our time, and tax dollars, would be much better spent investigating ways to prevent voter fraud there than trying to put a system in place that will prevent people from being able to vote.

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cc

10:12 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

It doesn't take a whole day to spend at the DMV to get a voters ID. I had my wallet stolen a year ago and was in and out of the DMV within a half hour. I took my Birth Certificate, a utility bill, filled a form out at the desk with my name, address and phone number, email address, signed it, gave the man behind the desk a check and he printed me out a duplicate Drivers License. Why would you have to pay for childcare when they allow children in the DMV, they don't have signs up no children allowed.
These same people that are complaining had valid photo id with an expiration date on it to go get welfare and free medical. These same people that you say can't get to the dmv DMV every month. IN Pennsylvania for the last 15 years their is Photo ID for people that don't drive so they don't need to go out and buy a car and get a drivers license. To go to college you need to show a valid Photo ID to get a school ID Card. It is all the alias names that people have that won't be able to vote, which they shouldn't of been voting in 10 different places anyway.

Pat Shane

11:48 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

There is nothing wrong with requiring a voter ID.

HOWEVER

There IS something wrong with implementing this new law 9 months before a presidential election. If voter fraud was so rampant in the last election, why didn't the GOP rush to pass this law immediately after the 2008 election? Wait until the 2016 election to impose this, that way it will give people 4 years to get their act together, and THEN you can give them the 'you have no excuse' treatment.

Watch the video and sign the petition to end Voter Suppression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9TjVsQa57c

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Roger

7:24 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

Pat, with your four year plan, that would say that people need four years to get their act together for flying on an airplane, opening a banking account, doing transactions with regard to medical procedures, etc.

Nine months is not enough time to get an ID, right? You can be sure that there is a certain segment of the population for which ANY amount of time would not be enough. When would be the right time to implement? Remember that any time would be before an election.

Margaret French

12:27 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

It would be nice to have a list for the Kane locations and CCAC locations for those who need to know.

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cc

10:15 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

Pa for the last 4 years has been trying to put into place Voters ID but our last Governor wouldn't sign the papers for this to become law, he was to worried about getting Casino's and games into place in Pennsylvania.

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NE12Ukid

12:08 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012

another Red Herring.
cc should become a fish monger.

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cc

2:11 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012

once again ne12ukid is on attack, why don't you pull up stories to prove me wrong as you always seem to be a know it all that knows nothing about anything. you ne12ukid have been out fishing for all the half truth articles that you post without even reading the whole article. then again you went and learn how to read with rosetta stone.

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cc

2:23 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012

For the record ne12ukid
"Fourteen other states require or have approved laws that will require voters to show photo identification, according to the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures.

Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a similar bill in 2006 but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Ed Rendell on the grounds that it would make voting unnecessarily difficult.

What will become of the latest bill remains to be seen, but with strong Republican support in the House and from GOP Gov. Tom Corbett, its prospects for passage — in some form — appear strong. …"

This bill was also turned down in 2001.

Ne12Ukid, go read past history in Pennsylvania on Photo ID in Pennsylvania before you open your mouth and stick your foot into it. You for one don't know what your talking about, but that is par for the course.

NE12Ukid

12:17 am on Monday, September 24, 2012

http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx
Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas and Pennsylvania have the toughest versions. These states won't allow voters to cast a regular ballot without first showing particular valid photo ID.
Any other states with photo ID laws offer more flexibility by providing voters with several alternatives.
Texas and South Carolina passed strict photo ID laws in 2011 but were refused preclearance by the DOJ, which argued that these laws could suppress turnout among minority voters. Texas went to court seeking judicial preclearance from a federal district court; in August, a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocked the law.
In Wisconsin, two judges have blocked enforcement of the state's photo ID law. The state attorney general has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to intervene and reinstate the law before the November election. Meantime, Democratic governors in Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire and North Carolina have vetoed strict photo ID bills passed by their Republican-led legislatures last year.

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