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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 3, 2023 12:55 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Thomas L. Mehaffie, III and Rep. Frank Burns, Rep. Kathleen C. Tomlinson |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Requiring Voter ID |
| Voting is a sacred privilege – a constitutional right of every United States citizen and should be closely guarded. This belief should be the bipartisan goals that guide Pennsylvanian's efforts regarding election law. Our democracy works best when we all participate. Recently Gov. Shapiro announced that individuals who obtain a driver’s license or state identification card will be automatically registered to vote. The public must have confidence in our elections, specifically that the ballots we cast are legitimate, and the will of the citizenry will be heard. Pennsylvania can no longer ignore a growing chorus of Americans who believe we can do more to secure the votes of every Pennsylvanian. That’s why we plan to introduce commonsense, bipartisan legislation that would require all voters to show identification or attest under penalty of law, that they are legally able to vote in Pennsylvania and to their identify when they go to the polls. Polls indicate that requiring voters to verify their identity before casting a ballot is supported by the vast majority of Pennsylvanians, and this support cuts across ideological, geographical and racial lines. Furthermore, presenting identification when voting is not a new idea. In Pennsylvania, we are required to present identification the first time we vote as well as when we register to vote by mail. Requiring identification at the polls prevents fraud and will begin to rebuild confidence in our electoral system. Please join us in this bipartisan effort to ensure that voting in Pennsylvania has the safeguards needed to ensure fair and honest elections |