With the U.S. House passing the SAVE America Act on Wednesday, Pennsylvania leaders and lawmakers are eyeing major changes under the proposed Voter ID bill that would reshape elections.Rep. Scott Perry supports bill The legislation faces a very uncertain future in the U.S. Senate, but congressman Scott Perry expressed support for the bill, emphasizing the importance of requiring photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship to register to vote, as measures to prevent individuals not legally residing in the U.S. from voting in federal and local elections.”There are so many things in our world where you need to provide identification. One of the most important things in a society that decides its differences by vote is to make sure that the people that are voting are the ones that should be voting,” Perry said.Issues raised with the billLast year, the state’s top elections official, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, highlighted issues with the bill in a letter to congressional leaders.Among them was the requirement for in-person verification of citizenship for mail voting, which he said would overburden county boards of elections that are already taking steps to verify voter identities. “This will present an enormous administrative burden on Pennsylvania’s counties and will prove unworkable amidst the tight timelines and strained resources faced by our local officials,” Schmidt wrote.Some Democrats have noted that Pennsylvanians are already required to show ID the first time they vote at a polling place in the state. Rep. Dave Madsen emphasized the fundamental nature of voting rights and said the Commonwealth should be doing what it can to expand and protect legalized access to the ballot.”I think at the end of the day, we all need to remember that voting is a right — not a privilege, it’s a right. It’s something you are guaranteed as a citizen,” Madsen said.
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
With the U.S. House passing the SAVE America Act on Wednesday, Pennsylvania leaders and lawmakers are eyeing major changes under the proposed Voter ID bill that would reshape elections.
Rep. Scott Perry supports bill
The legislation faces a very uncertain future in the U.S. Senate, but congressman Scott Perry expressed support for the bill, emphasizing the importance of requiring photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship to register to vote, as measures to prevent individuals not legally residing in the U.S. from voting in federal and local elections.
“There are so many things in our world where you need to provide identification. One of the most important things in a society that decides its differences by vote is to make sure that the people that are voting are the ones that should be voting,” Perry said.
Issues raised with the bill
Last year, the state’s top elections official, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, highlighted issues with the bill in a letter to congressional leaders.
Among them was the requirement for in-person verification of citizenship for mail voting, which he said would overburden county boards of elections that are already taking steps to verify voter identities.
“This will present an enormous administrative burden on Pennsylvania’s counties and will prove unworkable amidst the tight timelines and strained resources faced by our local officials,” Schmidt wrote.
Some Democrats have noted that Pennsylvanians are already required to show ID the first time they vote at a polling place in the state.
Rep. Dave Madsen emphasized the fundamental nature of voting rights and said the Commonwealth should be doing what it can to expand and protect legalized access to the ballot.
“I think at the end of the day, we all need to remember that voting is a right — not a privilege, it’s a right. It’s something you are guaranteed as a citizen,” Madsen said.