Voting (but not driving) in Philadelphia

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Matt Blaze <mab () crypto com>
Date: November 2, 2004 6:46:53 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Voting (but not driving) in Philadelphia

A few months ago I moved to Philadelphia, and so this morning voted in
Pennsylvania for the first time.

Under Pennsylvania law, as a new voter in my district I knew I would
be required to show identification at the polling place. My
registration form, my voter registration card, and the postcard I got
in the mail giving the polling place all made this clear.  What they
don't tell you is what forms of ID would acceptable.

As a native New Yorker, I never learned how to drive, so I don't have
that most usual of photo ID cards, the driver's license.  I have
enough government-issued photo ID to fly as an airline passenger (my
INSPass or my US passport), so I never bothered to get (or thought I
might need) a state non-driver ID card.  Yesterday, though, it occurred
to me that the airline rules might not be the same as the Pennsylvania
elections rules, so I called the elections board to confirm that I had
enough ID to vote.

The person I spoke with the first time I called told me that only
first time voters needed to show ID, and that since I had been
registered in New York, I wouldn't need it.  (That was wrong and
contradicted the information on my voter registration card).  I called
back, and the next person I spoke with told me that any photo ID would
be fine.  That didn't sound right, so I called again, only to be told
that I needed either a PA drivers or some other government issued or
work or student photo ID plus something showing my address.

It turned out that was wrong, too.  As I discovered at the poll, one
needs either a government, school, or work ID OR certain ID documents
that show one's current address (such as the voter registration card).
This was clearly printed on a poster at the polling place, and the
poll workers accepted my Penn ID without hesitation.

Although it was frustrating to have been given so much wrong
information in response to what should have been a very simple
question, at least the misinformation didn't prevent me from being
able to cast my vote.

My time in line at the neighborhood firehouse this morning was filled
with reminders not only of the importance of the outcome of this
election, but of the civic value of the voting process itself.
Although the wait was a bit long (I arrived at 8:15 and didn't vote
until 9:30), I didn't see a single person defect from the line or even
complain.  We spoke with each other as we too rarely do in anonymous
cities, not just about our candidates but using the opportunity to
meet our neighbors.  But I was most struck by the new immigrant couple
a few places ahead of me in line - new citizens voting here for the
first time - who paused before leaving to photograph each other outside
the voting booths.  There could be no more eloquent statement of our
democratic ideals as their looks of pride and seriousness of purpose;
the poll worker who helped them actually fought back tears.  I can
only hope we honor their earnest and uncynical participation by an 
equally earnest and uncynical vote count.

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/