University Times

Although last month Pennsylvania became the 16th state to adopt a strict voter photo ID law, photo IDs will not be required of most state voters in the April 24 primary.

The new law requires voters to produce at the polling places a Pennsylvania driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID, such as a U.S. passport. The state will accept university IDs as long as they are current and include an expiration date.

For the April 24 primary, only first-time voters must show an approved form of photo ID. The law will be enforced for all voters during the Nov. 6 general election, according to a statement released by the governor’s office.

Voters who currently do not have an acceptable form of photo ID can get one at any PennDOT driver’s license center, provided they show the necessary documentation, such as a birth certificate.

Voters who fail to bring an acceptable photo ID to the polls in November will be allowed to vote by provisional ballot. Their vote will be counted, as long as the voters provide a copy of their accepted ID to their county within six calendar days.

Those voting by absentee ballot in the fall must provide a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a copy of an accepted photo ID when applying for an absentee ballot. Identification must be verified by the Board of Elections before the voter’s ballot will be counted.

—Peter Hart