New Law Requires Voters to Present Photo ID at the Polls, Says Hickernell
HARRISBURG – A new law is now in place in Pennsylvania that requires all voters to present valid photo identification at the polling place in order to cast their vote, Rep. David Hickernell (R-Lancaster/Dauphin) said today.
Voters will be asked to present ID at the April 24 primary election, but identification will not be required by law until the general election in November.
Act 18 of 2012 requires all registered voters to present a valid form of identification at the polls that must include a name, photo and expiration date, except when an individual presents a military ID card. A driver’s license or ID card issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), military ID cards (including ones from the Pennsylvania National Guard), and cards issued by an accredited Pennsylvania university or a licensed nursing home will all be accepted.
For those with religious objections to being photographed, a valid without-photo driver’s license, or a valid without-photo ID card issued by PennDOT will be acceptable forms of ID at the polls.
If an individual does not possess any of the allowable forms of ID, he or she may obtain a free photo ID from PennDOT. The voter must first affirm he or she has no other form of ID and may then proceed using PennDOT’s existing procedures for obtaining a non-driver ID.
Voters who appear at the polls in November without photo ID will have the opportunity to vote by provisional ballot. They will then need to present valid identification within six days of the election to the appropriate county Board of Elections.
For additional information on the new law, visit
RepHickernell.com and click on the “New Voter ID Law” banner.
State Representative Dave Hickernell
98th District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6443