Voter Protection Act

==Voter Protection Act, HB 1318==
Passed the PA House and PA Senate and heads to PA Governor in mid Feb 2006. Rendell said he would veto the bill at an event at The Hill House, in Pittsburgh.
==Links==
* News from Politics PA on the Voter Protection Act
== ==
* Extends the deadline by which absentee ballots mailed from our soldiers overseas can be counted. Under HB 1318, military ballots postmarked by the date of the election and received up to seven days after the election would be counted. 
:In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice was forced to sue Governor Rendell to protect the right of military absentee voters to have their ballots counted.
* Provides that all polling places be located in an environment free of intimidation and harassment. Currently, no such provision exists in Pennsylvania law.
:In Philadelphia, the 1st Ward Democratic Headquarters serves as a polling place.
* Ensures that all polling places are accessible to the elderly and disabled. 
: Many polls in Pennsylvania are located in basements, private homes and other venues that are not handicapped accessible.
* The bill puts into place an identification requirement for voters. Under the bill, acceptable identification includes both photo and non-photo ID, including utility bills, copies of a paycheck, or a voter registration card. These methods of ID can be obtained without significant effort and without any expense. The bi-partisan Carter-Baker Commission has recommended an ID requirement for voting to provide fairer elections.
==Links==
* Federal Voting Rights Act
* Federal Line item veto
category: democracy