New Data Suggest Hundreds of Thousands Could Be Disenfranchised by Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law
July 6, 2012
Download a PDF Version of this Policy Brief
New state data show that 759,000 registered voters lack photo identification issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). With a new Voter ID Law now in effect in Pennsylvania, a large number of Pennsylvanians could be disenfranchised if they have no other acceptable ID or are unable to get a state-issued ID by Election Day.
Almost one in five Philadelphia voters lack a PennDOT-issued ID, the data show. However, this is not an issue limited to Philadelphia. More than one in 10 voters lack PennDOT identification in Cameron, Cumberland, Lackawanna, Centre, Allegheny, Montour, Union, Delaware and Lawrence counties. The full list of counties can be found at the bottom of this page or downloaded as a PDF here.
In 2006, PennDOT estimated that 691,909 otherwise eligible Pennsylvanians did not hold a driver's or non-driver's photo ID. The most recent data are consistent with that earlier analysis.
The new data raise questions about the effectiveness of administration outreach efforts on the new Voter ID Law and whether this many people will be able to secure acceptable identification before November 6, 2012, without significant changes to the process.
| Share of Registered Voters without PennDOT ID | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2012 | |||
| County | Total Count of All Voters[1] | Total Voters Without ID[2] | Pct with no PennDOT ID |
| PHILADELPHIA | 1,028,818 | 186,830 | 18.2% |
| CAMERON | 3,693 | 452 | 12.2% |
| CUMBERLAND | 153,809 | 18,477 | 12.0% |
| LACKAWANNA | 147,177 | 16,923 | 11.5% |
| CENTRE | 102,261 | 11,442 | 11.2% |
| ALLEGHENY | 892,579 | 99,218 | 11.1% |
| MONTOUR | 13,274 | 1,470 | 11.1% |
| UNION | 22,277 | 2,435 | 10.9% |
| DELAWARE | 384,431 | 40,547 | 10.5% |
| LAWRENCE | 60,973 | 6,401 | 10.5% |
| SCHUYLKILL | 84,991 | 8,154 | 9.6% |
| CLINTON | 22,197 | 2,102 | 9.5% |
| CRAWFORD | 53,598 | 5,007 | 9.3% |
| FAYETTE | 90,603 | 8,455 | 9.3% |
| BEAVER | 113,447 | 10,265 | 9.0% |
| NORTHAMPTON | 202,541 | 18,062 | 8.9% |
| LUZERNE | 189,900 | 16,869 | 8.9% |
| SOMERSET | 51,194 | 4,538 | 8.9% |
| INDIANA | 53,110 | 4,571 | 8.6% |
| ELK | 20,208 | 1,725 | 8.5% |
| BLAIR | 83,993 | 7,166 | 8.5% |
| JEFFERSON | 28,094 | 2,358 | 8.4% |
| MONTGOMERY | 539,122 | 44,952 | 8.3% |
| McKEAN | 25,532 | 2,128 | 8.3% |
| COLUMBIA | 38,536 | 3,195 | 8.3% |
| WASHINGTON | 140,035 | 11,246 | 8.0% |
| MERCER | 73,826 | 5,800 | 7.9% |
| CLEARFIELD | 50,854 | 3,893 | 7.7% |
| CLARION | 23,736 | 1,810 | 7.6% |
| CAMBRIA | 85,736 | 6,207 | 7.2% |
| NORTHUMBERLAND | 54,428 | 3,846 | 7.1% |
| BEDFORD | 31,767 | 2,226 | 7.0% |
| CHESTER | 326,384 | 22,475 | 6.9% |
| POTTER | 10,805 | 744 | 6.9% |
| YORK | 273,560 | 18,763 | 6.9% |
| LANCASTER | 305,169 | 20,054 | 6.6% |
| ARMSTRONG | 41,647 | 2,728 | 6.6% |
| FULTON | 9,184 | 586 | 6.4% |
| DAUPHIN | 174,382 | 11,091 | 6.4% |
| WARREN | 28,888 | 1,830 | 6.3% |
| ERIE | 172,280 | 10,913 | 6.3% |
| BUTLER | 119,609 | 7,445 | 6.2% |
| BRADFORD | 40,305 | 2,496 | 6.2% |
| HUNTINGDON | 28,441 | 1,742 | 6.1% |
| CARBON | 38,058 | 2,286 | 6.0% |
| BUCKS | 425,992 | 25,449 | 6.0% |
| LEHIGH | 218,295 | 13,025 | 6.0% |
| VENANGO | 32,388 | 1,929 | 6.0% |
| MONROE | 106,090 | 6,278 | 5.9% |
| WYOMING | 16,972 | 995 | 5.9% |
| TIOGA | 25,531 | 1,428 | 5.6% |
| GREENE | 22,347 | 1,237 | 5.5% |
| WESTMORELAND | 233,903 | 12,876 | 5.5% |
| PIKE | 40,927 | 2,252 | 5.5% |
| LYCOMING | 66,697 | 3,637 | 5.5% |
| BERKS | 244,106 | 12,351 | 5.1% |
| ADAMS | 59,662 | 2,921 | 4.9% |
| MIFFLIN | 23,964 | 1,146 | 4.8% |
| FOREST | 3,223 | 154 | 4.8% |
| SNYDER | 20,797 | 975 | 4.7% |
| WAYNE | 32,113 | 1,470 | 4.6% |
| LEBANON | 79,662 | 3,308 | 4.2% |
| SULLIVAN | 4,193 | 173 | 4.1% |
| FRANKLIN | 85,355 | 3,255 | 3.8% |
| SUSQUEHANNA | 25,849 | 946 | 3.7% |
| PERRY | 26,796 | 848 | 3.2% |
| JUNIATA | 13,440 | 363 | 2.7% |
| TOTAL | 8,243,754 | 758,939 | 9.2% |
1 - PA Department of State, Registered voters as of July 2, 2012 (accessed July 5, 2012), http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/http;//www.portal.state.pa.us;80/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_160329_1204422_0_0_18/currentvotestats.xlsx
2 - PA Department of State, "Department of State and PennDOT Confirm Most Registered Voters Have Photo ID," July 3, 2012, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/http;//www.portal.state.pa.us;80/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_879406_1265323_0_0_18/rls-DOS-VoterIDConfirm-070312%20(2).pdf
