Voter identification may be required at polls

By MARCIA NEHEMIAH

REGION — The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which Congress passed in 2002, in some states requires all first-time voters who registered by mail to present proof of identification when voting in a precinct for the first time.

Under HAVA, each state is in charge of its own election process, and standards differ by state, creating the possibility for confusion.

Pennsylvania requires ID

All first-time voters, whether they registered by mail or not, will be required to show proof of identity. The following are approved forms of photo identification. All IDs must be valid.

• PA driver’s license or ID card issued by PennDOT

• ID issued by any other Commonwealth agency

• ID issued by the U.S. Government

• U.S. Passport

• U.S. Armed Forces ID

• Student ID

• Employee ID

Approved forms of non-photo ID listed below must include the name and address of the voter.

• Voter’s identification card issued by the voter registration commission

• Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth

• Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government

• Firearm permit

• Current utility bill

• Current bank statement

• Current paycheck

• Government check

New York has different rules According to Lee Daghlian, director of public information for the New York State Board of Elections, anyone who registered to vote by mail provided a DMV number or the last four digits of his or her social security number. These numbers were then verified to indicate that the voter was who he said he was. If the numbers didn’t verify, the voter was notified by mail to provide further ID.

On Election Day, only those people whose registration hasn’t been verified will be required to present an ID that shows the voter’s name and address. Daghlian advised late mail-in registrants to bring ID with them. The forms of IDs listed above may be presented.

In all states, anyone who shows up to vote has the right to cast a ballot. If the registrant is in question, he or she must receive a provisional ballot (sometimes called a paper ballot or affidavit), which will be counted after the registration is verified.

Further questions may be addressed by calling the Wayne County Board of Elections at 570/253-5970, the Pike County Board of Elections at 570/296-3426, and the Sullivan County Board of Elections at 845/794-3000. Or find information online at dos.state.pa.us or elections.state.ny.us.