November 3, 2005: The ACLU of Pennsylvania is asking you to call your State Senator. Urge them to oppose House Bill 1318, which is currently being considered in the PA legislature.
Pennsylvania House Bill 1318 would lead to the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters in Pennsylvania. The bill requires photo identification of all voters and denies voting rights of ex-felons who are serving probation or parole.
House Bill 1318 would require all voters to show photo identification in order to vote and have their vote counted. There is no evidence that this procedure is necessary and photo identification requirement disproportionately impacts upon elderly, poor and disabled voters. A photo identification law in Georgia was recently declared unconstitutional by a federal court. Current Pennsylvania law requires a photo ID only from new voters
House Bill 1318 also takes away the right to vote from individuals convicted of felonies while they are on probation or parole. Under existing Pennsylvania law, a person convicted of a felony is permitted to vote once he or she leaves prison. HB 1318 strips away that right.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Thanks to the VRA, millions of Americans have gained access to the ballot box, strengthening our democracy. Certain provisions of House Bill 1318 are at odds with ending discriminatory voting practices - the foundation of the VRA. Call on your legislators to support voting rights in Pennsylvania and oppose HB 1318.
Talking Points
Photo Identification
- A photo identification requirement disproportionately impacts upon elderly, poor and disabled voters, who are less likely to have an acceptable photo ID.
- The federal court found that the Georgia photo identification law placed an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote for thousands of Georgia voters, including an estimated 152,000 2004 Georgia voters who were over 60 years of age and did not have a Georgia driver's license.
- Requiring every voter to show photo identification will create longer lines at polling places. Workers might be forced to turn voters away if their identification is unacceptable, even if the voter has been voting at that polling place for years.
Disenfranchisement of Ex-Offenders
- We learned from Florida in 2000, that people are often mistakenly denied the right to vote due to clerical errors on the part of election administrators.
- Many organizations, including the American Correctional Association, oppose this kind of law because they recognize that allowing ex-offenders to vote enhances prisoner re-entry and reintegration into society.
- Nationwide, a half a million veterans are denied the right to vote due to laws that disenfranchise felons. With HB 1318, hundreds of Pennsylvania's veterans would lose their voting rights.
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