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Voter ID a bigger hurdle for Puerto Rican-born Pennsylvanians
Puerto Rico voided its birth certificates in 2010, and for some replacing them has been a challenge. The birth certificates are necessary in order to get a state ID, now required to vote.
Voter ID a bigger hurdle for Puerto Rican-born Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania's new voter ID law, when it kicks in this November, could disenfranchise thousands of Philadelphians — particularly poor, elderly and minority residents who may not have the now-required photo IDs or easy means to get them. Add to that list: Anyone from Puerto Rico who hasn't replaced his or her birth certificate since 2010, the year Puerto Rico voided all of its birth certificates in favor of new and supposedly more secure ones. A birth certificate is required in order to obtain the photo identification required to vote.
The problem is, a lot of Pennsylvanians fall into that category, according to Jorge Santana, Deputy Commissioner at the Philadelphia City Commissioner's Office, which oversees elections in Philadelphia. "A lot of people did go ahead and get their birth certificate, but a lot of people did not," he says. "The reason it's a complicating issue for them is in addition to getting all the paperwork together to apply for their birth certificate, now they need their birth certificate to apply for their non-driver ID from PennDOT."
Santana said the City Commissioners have been getting a trickle of calls and visits from Puerto Rican-born Philadelphians, and is working with groups like Congreso, Associacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha, Pubic Interest Law Center and others to try to get the word out. "This is a common issue, but it's never been connected to voting before," he says.
Carmen Roman, a Philadelphia woman whose old birth-certificate was burned in a house fire and who has never had a state ID, said she's been trying for years to get her papers in order. Santana says his officer She says she voted in previous elections and now worries she'll be barred from casting her vote in November. "I don't got no state ID — I'm not able to do nothing," she says. She sent in her latest application for a birth certificate a couple weeks ago, but hasn't heard back yet. "I've been trying everything," she says.
The groups will hold a press conference tomorrow to try to get the word out. Details follow:
WHAT:
Press conference on Puerto Rican birth certificates and Voter ID
WHEN:
July 13th, 12:00pm to 1:00pm
WHERE:
The Lighthouse Gymnasium
141 W. Somerset Street
Philadelphia, PA 19133
DESCRIPTION:
This press conference is being presented to raise awareness of a particular problem related to the voter ID law, and that is how it adds an additional burden to Puerto Rican voters who were born in PR, live in Philadelphia, but may not have a photo ID.
PRESENTERS:
Jorge Santana, City Commissioners Office (moderator)
Stephanie Singer, City Commission Chair
Ivonne Guiterrez Bucher, AARP
Jennifer Clarke, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP)
Cynthia Figueroa, Congreso
Will Gonzalez, Hispanic Bar Association and CEIBA
Juan Carlos Ibarra, Advancement Project
Miguel Concepcion, National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights
Rafael Collazo, National Council of La Raza
SUMMARY
Puerto Rican birth certificates and Voter ID
The new voter photo ID law that goes into effect this year has gotten a lot of attention in recent months. While major grassroots efforts are under way to help educate the public of the new requirement, which mandates voters must show a photo ID at the polls when voting, little attention has been given to the particular barriers Pennsylvanians who were born in Puerto Rico face.
In order to vote on November 6th, voters need to present an acceptable photo ID to their local election board. Voters who do not have an ID can get a non-drivers license for free from PennDOT. To receive a PennDOT issued ID, a person must present a birth certificate, a social security card, and two pieces of evidence proving residency. Puerto Rico-born voters who do not already have a PennDOT issued ID, and have not received a new birth certificate from Puerto Rico, may face problems at the polls.
On November 1, 2010, the Puerto Rican government invalidated the birth certificates of all persons born in Puerto Rico before July 1, 2010. The Vital Statistics Record Office responsible for issuing new, allegedly more secure birth certificates has had trouble dealing with the volume of applications from the United States. According to one ACLU report, many applicants reported extensive processing delays. (See: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/puerto-rican-birth-certificates-issued-july-1-2010-declared-void).
This press conference is being presented to raise awareness of this particular problem related to the voter ID law, and to provide contacts throughout the City of Philadelphia who can help voters get the ID they require to vote.
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