Senator brands commercials misleading
An image from the state’s voter ID advertisement
An image from the state’s voter ID advertisement
A state senator, whose district includes Peters Township, called for the department responsible for commercials on voter identification to pull the plug.
State Sen. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, said the “Show It” commercials airing on television and radio mislead voters that they are legally required to show photo identification to vote in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. He called the ads “troubling” and “confusing” and suggested that the estimated $1 million being spent on them this election season instead be used to educate voters on how to obtain proper photo ID.
“Simply put, taxpayer funds should not be used to promote this law until there is a clear and final decision by Commonwealth Court on its constitutionality,” Smith said in a news release. “I’m disappointed that the department isn’t putting scarce state dollars to better use.”
He wrote to state Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele and called for the commercials to be removed immediately and replaced with other educational ads. Smith added that he has concerns poll workers also might not be aware of the changes and mistakenly require photo ID to vote.
“If one individual is under the impression that they will not be permitted to vote without a photo ID and stays home … that is one person too many,” Smith said.
Ron Ruman, Department of State spokesman, claimed that the ads are educational.
“The ad addresses what the law is for this election,” Ruman said. “After that, the spots do address that any registered voter can get free ID at a PennDOT license center even if you were unable to get one in the past. It also refers people to the phone number and website, 1-877-VOTESPA and www.VOTESPA.com.”
Ruman said Thursday that Judge Bernard McGinley’s August injunction ordered that “transition practices should continue. He also said he was leaving intact voter education portions of the law so voter education may continue.”
Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr instructed members of local elections boards who attended training sessions on the new electronic poll books that they are permitted to ask voters for photo ID, but if they either don’t have it or refuse to show it they must be given access to a ballot.
The exception is a person voting in a new precinct for the first time, due to first-time registration or having moved. Those using absentee ballots are required to include either their Pennsylvania driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
“Absentee ballot ID has never been challenged,” Ruman noted.
Although the bulk of the ballot includes municipal, school board and county candidates, there is a statewide race for a seat on Superior Court.
Ruman said the voter ID commercials started airing the week of Sept. 23 because the commonwealth’s agent was able to make some media buys and “started in earnest on Sept. 30.
“We believe this law will be upheld in court so people won’t have to be worrying about getting one,” Ruman said in an explanation of why the state is advertising voter ID. But he hedged slightly when noting that “poll workers are not to say you’ll need ID for the next election or any future election, because we really don’t know.”