Welcome to VoteRiders’ first installment of Do You Really Want Your Right to Vote Determined by the DMV?
Leading up to the election many people asked, “What’s the big deal?” when considering the issue of voter identification. Well, we plan to reveal exactly what the big deal is. The following is the first in a series of true stories of just how difficult it can be for individuals to obtain an ID.
Our first story involves a 53-year-old woman in Philadelphia with a debilitating case of rheumatoid arthritis who wanted an ID for voting. A key document she needed to present is her birth certificate. Delivered by midwife at her home in Virginia, her birth was not officially reported to the state. So it’s necessary to create a “delayed” birth certificate: an expensive, complicated and time-consuming process that required the assistance of an attorney. Fortunately for her, the Face to Face Legal Center in Philadelphia offers free legal services to help individuals obtain government identification.
Among the documents needed for a delayed birth certificate is the existing birth certificate; so the Center had to order her birth record, in order to submit the letter showing that she has no birth certificate. At all. What?
Next came the trip to PennDOT (Pennsylvania’s DMV) to get her ID. While her illness makes it excruciatingly uncomfortable to be mobile, she was forced to ultimately make four, hours-long trips. She was looking forward to getting her ID, as the PA Department of State’s voter helpline told her she did not need to show a birth certificate after all. Unfortunately she learned during her first visit that she did indeed need to produce a birth certificate since she was born out of state. Of course, she did not have this document nor would she be able to procure it in time for the election. Her attorney then helped her gather documents to prove her birth, including a certified school record. After the state’s voter ID requirements lessened so she now didn’t need to show a birth certificate, her second visit to PennDOT was unsuccessful for lack of her social security card. The next day, after another four hours at PennDOT, the woman was falsely informed she needed to present a voter registration card to prove that she was registered to vote and was turned away yet again. When the woman returned to PennDOT the following week for her fourth visit, she finally obtained the newly minted Voter Only ID card. (Side note: All this not to mention that she ultimately didn’t even need it for this election! She most likely will need it in the future though as the law may well be back in effect next year.)
So we see (and probably have experienced!) that bureaucracies must obey administrative regulations that make you cross-eyed just reading them, much less understanding them. The documents that explain the requirements for creating a delayed birth record are several pages long and can be confusing. Even attorneys have been confused when handling these cases.
As you can imagine, those most affected by voter ID laws - women (who’ve changed their names), people of color, young adults (including students attending school in other states), individuals with disabilities or low income, and older adults - can be intimidated by this whole process and have difficulty in advocating for themselves with governmental authorities.
This is just one in a countless number of stories. Stay tuned for our next installment of Do You Really Want Your Right to Vote Determined by the DMV?
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