Volunteers prepare to help Pa. voters unsure about new ID law

Some law professionals who plan to volunteer to keep the polls running smoothly during next week’s primary election gathered in Center City Philadelphia Tuesday. In preparation for this election, training includes Pennsylvania’s new voter ID bill.

 

The Committee of Seventy’s Ellen Mattleman Kaplan said while the new law will not go into full effect until the November general election, the primary election is a opportune time to test it.

“On April 24, many, many voters will be coming to the polls and it’s a great captive audience to teach voters what the requirements of the new voter ID law are,” Kaplan said. “And if they don’t have an acceptable form of ID that they can use at the polls in November, how they can go about getting an ID.”

Corporate and intellectual property attorney Matthew Homyk said he knows a bit about the voter ID law.

“Haven’t actually read the law itself, but before next week comes around, I am planning on doing that to make sure I understand it fully,” Homyk said. “I am sort of a civics geek, and I love politics, and this should be a fun opportunity to go outside of my daily work.”

The new law requires all voters show a photo ID every time.