PA Voter ID Law Leaves Some Students Out

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November's election is shaping up to be a complicated affair in Pennsylvania, and a few other states with Voter ID laws.  Logue Library's election resources web page includes a continually updated news feed of the latest issues in the PA Voter ID Law. Students should be aware of the challenges they face in voting this year in Pennsylvania.

"You think your vote doesn't matter? Then why are they trying so hard to take it away from you?" asks Heather Smith, president of Rock the Vote, a group that works to register young voters. "It does demonstrate the power they have." - USA Today

Under the PA Voter ID Law, a current photo ID with an expiration date is required to vote. Most student IDs in Pennsylvania  do not have an expiration date, including Chestnut Hill College student IDs printed prior to the 2011-2012 academic year, and all IDs for students of the School of Continuing Studies. Some colleges & universities are adding an expiration date this year in response to the law; others are providing expiration stickers for ID cards that have already been printed. Chestnut Hill College is researching all of the options available, to choose the best one to meet the needs of our students.

Why is a college ID so important? Why not just use a drivers license? Students from out of state will need a Pennsylvania ID to vote in Pennsylvania.

It's not uncommon for out-of-state students to vote where they think their vote has the most impact. So if they attend a school in a swing state, they often vote there. It also can simply just be a matter of convenience, and a way to avoid going through the process of getting an absentee ballot. - US News & World Report

It is important for students to decide where they want to vote, and then to take the steps needed to ensure that they are able to vote. It is your constitutional right, but as long as the voter ID law stands, it has become more complicated.