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[quote=Anonymous]Oh, this is good:

Danielle Friel Otten / PA State representative

https://www.pahouse.com/FrielOtten/EmailArchive/?id=138122

[quote]The cost and effort involved with procuring a passport (currently $130 plus the cost of photos) or birth certificate ($20 in Pennsylvania, plus processing fees if you opt for online service) amount to a modern-day poll tax, deterring voters who lack the resources or the ability to travel to obtain those documents. What’s more, [b]proof of citizenship must be provided in-person,[/b] throwing online voter registration into question and creating an obstacle for troops stationed overseas and anyone with mobility challenges or lack of access to transportation.

Rural citizens, seniors, persons with disabilities, and low-income individuals would all be deeply affected, but the greatest potential impact by far would be for married women who have taken their spouse’s last name. The requirement to present a birth certificate would disproportionately affect [b]conservative and Republican[/b]-leaning women, who are at least [b]twice as likely as liberal or Democratic-leaning women to have changed their name[/b] to match their husband’s last name.

As a pre-emptive measure against this federal legislation, I plan to introduce legislation to provide birth certificates [b]free of charge[/b] to Pennsylvanians, with no application fees or processing fees, to ensure that as many Pennsylvanians as possible are able to obtain the proof of identity documents necessary to protect their right to vote. My bill would require the state to provide [b]one free copy upon request every 10 years[/b]. Additional copies within a 10-year period would still incur the regular fee.

For Pennsylvanians whose names have changed since birth, whether for marriage or any other reason, obtaining an official birth certificate is still often the first step in updating other proof of identity documents so that names are consistent across all forms of identification.

(snip)

[b]The process[/b] of obtaining a REAL ID [b]has been a hassle[/b] for many constituents, especially married women who have changed their name and individuals who added a middle name that did not appear on their birth certificate, such as a confirmation name.

To obtain a REAL ID, [b]your name must be consistent across all forms of ID[/b], meaning the name on your passport or official birth certificate must match the name on your proof of social security document and the name on your proof of residency documents.

While this may seem straightforward, it has proven difficult for many constituents. For instance, many birth certificates issued [b]prior to 1975 did not contain a raised seal[/b] and are no longer accepted as official state documents. And women needing to show proof of name change due to marriage need to provide the [b]official marriage certificate filed with the county courthouse[/b] – not the certificate issued by the church, which is what most people have. And if you adopted your confirmation name as your middle name, and that middle name appears on your social security card and driver’s license, but not your birth certificate, you may need to obtain a new proof of social security that reflects the name on your birth certificate.

The difficulty of obtaining a REAL ID offers a a preview of the many obstacles that the SAVE Act would create for voters. To make things more confusing, it seems that a [b]REAL ID would not qualify as proof of citizenship under the SAVE Act[/b], because people who are legal residents but not citizens are permitted to obtain a REAL ID.

[color=darkred]I have still suggested to anyone obtaining a REAL ID that it may be a good idea to say “Yes” to the automatic voter registration option at the driver’s license center to ensure that the name on your new REAL ID-compliant driver’s license matches the name on your voter registration card, to keep all forms of ID as consistent as possible in case the SAVE Act or any other change to Voter ID requirements be signed into law. [/color]

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