Senator Jim Ferlo: Do You Have Voter ID? Take the Quiz!
Pittsburgh, August 14, 2012 – Senator Jim Ferlo’s office unveiled a new tool on Tuesday aiming to help voters determine whether or not they have the photo identification now required by the state’s so-called “Voter ID” law. Senator Ferlo’s website walks users through a series of yes or no questions, provides documents for download, and offers direct assistance for those who need an ID. Visit www.senatorferlo.com/voterID to take the quiz.
“I have voted against this outrageous attempt at voter suppression at every turn in Harrisburg. Knowing that we are hurtling toward Election Day, I could not stand by and wait. My office took action to help voters find out for sure if they had proper ID, and if not, how to get it. Republicans in Harrisburg are content to watch thousands of eligible Pennsylvania voters lose the franchise, but I plan to do everything possible to educate the public about this blatant attempt at voter suppression,” Ferlo said.
Senator Ferlo’s frustration with the new law is multi-faceted. The premise of enacting Voter ID was to combat voter impersonation and voter fraud. During recent court proceedings, Secretary of the Commonwealth Carole Aichele admitted that there was not one single documented case of in-person voter fraud in Pennsylvania. A News21 national report analyzed 2,068 reported fraud cases found ten legitimate claims of alleged in-person voter impersonation since 2000. With 146 million registered voters in the United States, those represent about one for every 15 million prospective voters.[i] For this reason, Ferlo considers the legislation “a solution in search of a problem.”
What’s more, Senator Ferlo has serious concerns about the use of Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars for voter suppression efforts over more appropriate uses, such as increasing handicap access to polling places across the Commonwealth; another example of eligible voting Pennsylvanians being denied their right to vote.
“Rather than spending four or five million dollars in HAVA funds to discourage the democratic process, we should be advocating for accessibility in ALL of Pennsylvania’s polling places. There are numerous voters who cannot climb or descend steps, especially voters who are wheelchair bound.”
Senator Ferlo reminds the public that the deadline for new voter registrations is October 9; forms must be delivered or post-marked by that date in order to be eligible for the November 6th general election.
Visit Senator Ferlo’s website, www.senatorferlo.com/voterID and take the step-by-step quiz which will walk the user through the state-approved voter IDs which will be required on November 6. If you do not have any of the eligible IDs, please call one of Senator Ferlo’s District Offices for help. The Pittsburgh District Office’s phone number is 412-621-3006, and Natrona Heights is 724-230-2000.
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State Senator Jim Ferlo is a Democrat representing the 38th Senatorial District comprised of parts of the City of Pittsburgh, Armstrong, and Westmoreland Counties. Senator Ferlo serves constituents in two district offices; one in Lawrenceville and one in Natrona Heights. For more information, visit www.senatorferlo.com.
[i]The Washington Post, Natasha Khan and Corbin Carson. “Election Day impersonation, an impetus for voter ID laws, a rarity, data show” August 11, 2012.
