Pa. elections chief: PennDOT ID is best for voters

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The state’s elections chief says identification cards issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation are the best choice for voters seeking to comply with the new voter ID law.

But a lawyer seeking to block the law said other ID cards are just as valid and easier to obtain for many voters.

Testifying today in Commonwealth Court, Secretary of State Carol Aichele defended her department’s efforts to make PennDOT driver’s licenses and nondriver IDs the standard for complying with the photo ID requirement that takes effect in the Nov. 6 election.

But Washington lawyer David Gersch said that poses a problem for voters without a birth certificate or Social Security card. He said many voters can obtain absentee ballots or planned special State Department ID cards without such rigorous documentation.