Remember Your Photo ID

By the time you read this, the governor of Pennsylvania will probably have already signed a new law that will require all voters in the state to present photo identification when voting. The bill has been debated for some time with both political parties - as one would expect in today's political climate - taking opposite sides. The Democrats claim that this will prevent elderly and poor from being able to vote because they won't have such identification. Now I question that because today you can't even go to a doctor without photo identification. Two solutions are presented for this concern. First the government will provide these cards for them - at public expense. That sounds like another government dive into debt and more intrusion into one's private life. The other solution is to allow these folks to vote on provisional ballots. As a judge of elections I really dislike provisional ballots because it is another time consuming process involving more government forms and paperwork. Now the Republicans claim to support this new law because it will cut down on fraud in elections. Personally I didn't know there was that much fraud with people voting illegally. I would suggest that a better place to start would be with the voter rolls which often contain names of deceased persons or people who've moved. I have even found a few double entries. And at an election I spend much of my time on the phone with the election bureau trying to track down folks who claim to be registered but are not in our books. Maybe this is a better place to improve the voting process. I am afraid the new law is more a matter of politics than it is a legitimate way to improve voting. Maybe the folks who actually work at the voting precincts should be consulted. Oh, but that would be too practical and novel. And our elected officials who have never actually run an election really know best. Now there are two things that upset me about this new law. The first is the timing. The next two elections are the heaviest of any that we have. We will be overworked trying to process voters in a presidential primary and election. We need more help but government can't afford it. We will be held up by people without cards and those who will criticize and blame us for the change. Yes, we often take the brunt of complaints from upset voters. Why not wait and begin to implement this law in one of the off elections when we sit there for long periods without any voters. It would make much more sense to do it then. But our government isn't always known for using common sense. The second thing that upsets me is that it is another government requirement on the top of many other "questionable" mandates that already exist. For example, there are four or five required posters of regulations that I am required to post for voters - at least three copies of each in both English and Spanish. In my nearly eight years of serving I have never seen anybody read any of these. But, by law, they must be posted. As judge I have multiple forms that must, by law, be completed for all sorts of situations even if I have nobody who needs those special services. I probably have about 20 envelopes that must be filled with various reports and returns. As one who prides himself in administrative and organizational skills, I would like to be able to take and redesign the entire voting process. But even if I did, my plan would probably never be approved because it would become partisan and the two parties would take opposite views and it would die a slow death in committee. So, in conclusion, please help us out by having your photo identification ready for us. Please don't make us turn you away or vote a provisional ballot. If you are going to forget your photo identification, please go to another precinct.