In recent weeks Mazzoni Center Legal Services has been actively engaged with the PA Voter ID Coalition, and with efforts to educate the community about the changing voter laws.  

We are pleased to report that Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson issued a ruling on Tuesday, October 2 that postpones the implementation of Pennsylvania's voter ID law (officially known as Act 18). While the ruling itself is somewhat confusing - in legal terms it's a "partial injunction" - the bottom line is good news for LGBT voters. 

This ruling means you will NOT need a photo ID to vote in Pennsylvania on November 6.  Poll workers may still ask you for an ID, but they cannot stop you from voting if you don't have one.

Because this is a "partial" injunction, the State is still allowed to run commercials (on TV, the internet, radio, and newspapers) telling people they will need photo ID in order to vote - even though this doesn’t actually apply to November’s election.  So there is a lot of potential for confusion, and we would not want anyone to stay home on Election Day, thinking they're not able to cast a vote.

Please note:  Tuesday, October 9 is the last day you can register to vote in Pennsylvania.  (If you're traveling on November 6 and will need an absentee ballot, the deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 30).  

You can check your registration status, or register to vote, by going to www.VotesPA.com and clicking on 'Register to Vote' or by calling 1-800-VOTES-PA

On Sunday, October 7, Mazzoni Center staff and volunteers will be at 12th and Locust Streets for the "Outfest" event, helping folks check their registration status and register to vote as needed.  We could still use some volunteer help Sunday afternoon - so if you can pitch in for a couple of hours, please contact: rperri@mazzonicenter.org.

If you have any additional questions about the Voter ID law, please don't hesitate to contact our legal services department at: 215-563-0657or email: legalservices@mazzonicenter.org

And don't forget to vote on November 6!

image credit: senatorhughes.com