Elizabeth Stelle: Pennsylvania needs genuine election integrity reform

Imagine that you are at the liquor store but forgot your ID. Don’t worry, your friend can sign an affidavit saying you’re over 21. Sounds ridiculous? That’s because it is. Yet, that’s the essence of the latest voter ID proposal in Pennsylvania. Vouching for a friend wouldn’t fly at the state liquor store — nor should it at the ballot box.

Numerous efforts to improve Pennsylvania’s problematic voting laws have centered on meaningful voter ID. This election integrity reform is a simple way to make voting easy and cheating hard. It balances access with security.

Let’s be clear: Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support genuine voter ID laws. Ninety-one percent of voters support voter ID legislation, clearer voting deadlines, and consistent rules for mail-in ballots. This overwhelming support transcends parties, regions, and demographic groups.

But the latest voter ID proposal isn’t worthy of the name. House Bill 771 requires voters to show their ID each time they vote. However, they can prove their identity with a laundry list of options: a utility bill; numerous other government documents; documents issued by employers, banks, and schools; or a friend vouching for the voter. Rather than slamming the door on fraud, this measure knocks it clean off its hinges.

The legislation is a weak nod to an idea that voters overwhelmingly support, but Democrat leaders continue to eschew. If leaders in the state House were serious about election security, they would consider a voter ID constitutional amendment, which has previously passed with bipartisan support. However, the House Majority Leader Matt Bradford says that’s a bridge too far.

The current debate is an extreme swing from 2021, when lawmakers passed a comprehensive bill that included several voter ID requirements. Unfortunately, former Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed it. A month later, Wolf indicated he was open to a “reasonable voter ID solution.” However, it was too little, too late: The term-limited Wolf administration was on its way out the door, so a stalemate ensued.

Instead of pursuing popular voter ID legislation, Wolf’s successor, Gov. Josh Shapiro, has avoided engaging on election reform. In typical doublespeak style, Shapiro has signaled his openness to negotiate on voter ID laws without taking a specific stance on the current effort.

As a result, Pennsylvania remains one of only fifteen states (plus the District of Columbia) without a voter ID law, despite broad support. The Keystone State joins the likes of California, New York, Illinois, and Washington.

Opponents claim voter ID laws disenfranchise voters, but those arguments don’t hold water. A National Bureau of Economic Research study found that voter ID laws neither reduce turnout nor impact election outcomes. A 2015 study determined that 93 percent of all voters already have a valid form of photo ID.

Assuredly, Pennsylvania requires basic ID for first-time voters. When voting in-person for the first time, Pennsylvanians must provide a valid ID to poll workers.

Also, Pennsylvania requires voter ID for mail-in voting, though lawmakers must strengthen the law. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS), voters must provide proof of identification with their applications. If a voter lacks a driver’s license or a social security number, DOS still allows the voter to receive a ballot.

The voter must “provide proof of identification with the ballot” submitted no later than six calendar days post-election.Identification verification should take place before mailing a ballot, not after.

Pennsylvania’s elections are moving in the right direction. Voter ballot errors have declined as voters learn the mail-in system. In 2022, lawmakers approved modest reforms regarding election-administration donations (banning “Zuckerbucks”) and continuous ballot counting.

However, elected officials and policymakers must do more to achieve efficient, secure, and fair elections. Pennsylvania lawmakers must enact genuine voter ID reforms that update voter rolls, establish earlier mail-in ballot deadlines, enhance supervision at ballot-return locations, and clarify rules to ensure uniform administration across all counties. Lawmakers should also address foreign nationals funding ballot measures and independent expenditures.

That’s the path to secure and accessible elections.

A practically useless voter ID law that makes more demands on our election workers is not reform. It’s political theater, and the voters will notice.

Elizabeth Stelle is the Vice President of Policy of the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank. Twitter/X: @ElizabethBryan