Governor signs Photo Voter ID bill into law

Before Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots in the November presidential election, they will… Before Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots in the November presidential election, they will have to show an ID .

Gov. Tom Corbett signed House Bill 934, also known as the Photo Voter ID bill, into law Wednesday. It requires Pennsylvanians to show valid government-issued photo ID before they vote at the polls. In January, the language of the bill was altered to allow college IDs that haven’t expired to qualify as well.

A press release from the Office of the Governor said that the law goes into effect immediately, but the photo-ID requirement will be waived for the Republican presidential primary election next month.

Corbett said in the release that he signed the bill to “protect the integrity of our elections.”

“I am signing this bill because it protects a sacred principle, one shared by every citizen of this nation. That principle is: one person, one vote,” he said.

House Bill 934 has not come without its share of controversy.

Critics have said that its terms could disenfranchise historically marginalized voting groups that include the elderly and the poor.

Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, whose constituency encompasses a large portion of Pittsburgh, including Oakland, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Frankel has previously told The Pitt News that he opposed the bill because the cost to implement it — which includes paying for the new ID cards, informing the electorate of the changes and training poll workers — would range from $10 million to $12 million.

He said that he views the bill as an “oppression technique” to disenfranchise minorities.

But supporters uphold that the bill will combat voter fraud.

“No one entitled to vote will be denied that right by this bill. But by preventing those not legally allowed to vote from casting ballots, we will make sure every vote carries the weight it should in deciding elections,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele in the release.

The release said that voters without photo ID can get one free of charge at any PennDOT Driver License Center.

The bill, proposed in the state House of Representatives over the summer, amends the current Pennsylvania Election Code, which does not require Pennsylvania voters to show ID at the polls unless they are first-time voters.