Philadelphia Ignores Voter ID Law

According to reader and faithful voter/activist Adam Z., his precinct in Philadelphia seems to be ignoring the new voter identification law in Pennsylvania. The law requires that election staffers request to see identification during today’s primary. Because this is the first election post-passage of the law, if a voter answers that they don’t have identification on them or they show a form of id that doesn’t count for voting, then they will still be given a ballot. They are also supposed to be told at that point that they need to provide valid id when voting November. So let’s look at his account of what happened at his precinct:

Voter ID law? What’s that, according to the reaction of the local polling people? Told them my name and was pulling out my Driver’s License (although I knew it was not necessary during this primary in PA but will be during the General election in November) but was wavied off with a statement to the effect of “Don’t need that, Thanks”. Technically speaking they were right but one would like to think they would get people used to showing their ID for voting…Nahhh! Additionally noone mentioned that I will need ID for the General Election.

Sadly, this, and the treatment he describes for daring to mention that he was voting in the GOP primary, are par for the course in Philadelphia. In fact, there are widespread reports of poll workers choosing to ignore the law in the city according to The Daily News. Why would the poll workers feel like they need to follow the law when there’s a report of election violations by a lawmaker in the city?

A voter just called to complain that Babette Josephs, who is fighting to keep her House seat, was inside the 8th ward/3rd division and said to him: “I know I’m not supposed to be doing this, but please vote for me, Babette Josephs.” Unless they have a valid poll watcher’s certificate, candidates are not permitted to enter a polling place except to cast their own vote.

(h/t on the Josephs tidbit from PoliticsPA)

8 thoughts on “Philadelphia Ignores Voter ID Law”

  1. In PA, the constables are tasked with keeping order at the polls, but, in 1972 the constables office was done away with in first class cities (Philly). This is why Babette is getting away with this nonsense, there is no one there to stop her or physically remove her from the polling location. This is why more Philly voters need to have a camera with them (I suggest a GoPro) to video this kind of crap and push for charges from the AG office, since Seth Williams is not going to do anything about it.

  2. Well up here in Beautiful NE PA I went to cast my vote in the local town hall (Actually the Town garage, they move the dump truck out on election day). I was presented with a yellow card stating that “Photo ID would be required for November 2012 election” The card explains the procedures that will be in place for NOVEMBER.

    I politely inquired about the primary and was assured that Photo ID was not necessary this election but will be required in November???

    So there is a possible explanation, Photo ID will be necessary in November but not today.

    1. What you experienced was close to what the law required, but not quite. Yes, it is true that they can’t turn you down for a regular ballot for not having ID today. However, everyone was supposed to be asked to present it. If someone didn’t have valid ID were they to be informed they can’t vote in November without one.

      So, it’s not an explanation because the poll workers were mandated to ask today.

  3. What happens if a precinct fails to check the ID cards of people come November? Are that precinct’s votes tossed?

  4. In Filthy yesterday I saw on the signature pages notations of ‘ID required’ or some such language for first-time voters to the poling location. As I went after work and only my wife and I were in the place, and did not see anyone else voting, we did not see if this was ever enforced or not. We were not not asked for ID, but that may be because the woman running things is our neighbor and knows us on sight (and gets her reluctant lackeys to change the machines over to ‘R’).

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