Pa. Voter ID Law Could Keep My Daughter from Voting - Unless She Buys a Gun [View all]

[JPZenger]

My daughter will be turning 18 soon before this election, and she might not be able to vote in PA. because of the Voter ID Law - unless she buys a gun.

If she buys a gun and gets a firearms permit, she will be able to use her gun permit to vote. If she would be going to a college outside of PA, she could not use that photo ID to vote.

Unlike almost every other state in the Union, you can't vote in PA. unless you are registered 30 days before the election.

She wants to take the test for her driver's license, but it is literally impossible in my part of the state to get an appointment with PennDOT to take the driver's test during the summer. Her learner's permit doesn't have a photo, so it can't be used to vote. She has a high school photo ID, but that can't be used to vote.

She won't get her college photo ID until she goes away to college. If that college ID doesn't have a date printed on it, it can't be used to vote. (Until recently, very few college IDs had printed dates).

The voter ID law is still before the courts, but is currently in effect, including for the November elections. That is because the injunction expired. The Repubs only try to enforce it during general elections, not primaries.

The Repubs better make sure their law is upheld, because my daughter is so angry about marriage equality, PA's refusal to accept federal money for health care insurance, and the fact that so many of her favorite high school teachers were laid off that she is ready to vote a straight Dem ticket for the next few decades.