Pa. eases procedure for seniors with expired licenses to get photo IDs

    Seniors in Pennsylvania with expired driver’s licenses may have an easier time getting a new photo ID before voting in the November general election.

    When the state Legislature passed the law requiring all voters to show an up-to-date photo identification at the polls, Democrats and civil liberties groups said the requirement could make it harder for seniors to cast their votes.

    They cited concerns that elderly Pennsylvanians often have expired driver’s licenses, and have trouble collecting the documents they need to get new ones.

    Now, State Department Secretary Carol Aichele says seniors with expired licenses only need to go to a Penn DOT licensing center and provide their name.

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    There is a catch; Aichele said the system may not include those whose licenses expired before 1990.

    “There will be a few seniors, we think, who fall into this category,” she said Wednesday. “We will work with these seniors to secure for them acceptable photo ID.”

    She advises seniors to call ahead to a PennDOT office to find out if they’re in the system before trekking to a licensing office to get a new ID.

    Seniors who want to check to see if they’re in the database can call 800-932-4600.

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