Bloody Sunday and your ID?

Rep. Liz Hanbidge March 14, 2025

PA Representative Liz Hanbidge banner image

Dear Friends,

Last weekend, March 7 marked 60 years since Bloody Sunday. Although the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, civil rights marches in Selma, AL have long been considered the turning point in ensuring suffrage for all, a catalyst for significant public support and the subsequent passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Until the public outcry caused by Bloody Sunday, despite being almost equal in terms of population, African Americans in Selma were vastly underrepresented at the ballot box with 99% of the registered voters being white coupled with extreme and sometimes violent voter suppression tactics against Black people being the norm. As shared by the Brennan Center, “in the years after the Voting Rights Act’s passage, the disparity in registration rates between white and Black voters dropped from nearly 30 percentage points in the early 1960s to 8 percentage points just a decade later.”

When President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law he commented, the “right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies." One of the core aspects of the VRA was pre-clearance; the requirement that certain areas with a history of voter suppression could not make changes in election practice or procedure without some type of administrative or judicial review ensuring that law change would not be discriminatory in purpose or effect. In 2013, in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court held that the process for identifying what areas should face a higher level of scrutiny was unconstitutional, significantly weakening the VRA. After the Shelby decision, some states began enacting laws that created more voting hurdles for certain segments of the population. A study found that since pre-clearance ended “the turnout gap between white voters and Black voters grew almost twice as quickly in formerly covered jurisdictions as in other parts of the country with similar demographic and socioeconomic profiles.” Voter suppression still exists and it’s growing rather than receding.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 upon the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. Per the Department of Homeland Security, the REAL ID Act “established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.” Once the Act is in place, a REAL ID will be required to access federal buildings, fly domestically, or enter nuclear power plants.

Currently, standard Pennsylvania driver’s licenses or identification cards are not REAL ID compliant, and the commonwealth has taken steps to allow residents to have a federally compliant state ID by applying for a REAL ID. A REAL ID is currently optional for Pennsylvania residents, and you will still be able to get a standard license or photo ID without any additional cost. However, the value of your standard ID, in terms of things you can do with it will decrease as of May 7. For instance, if you plan to fly domestically on or after May 7 of this year, your standard license or photo ID cannot be used without a valid passport. Only 45% of Pennsylvanians have passports. While more than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to get a REAL ID, that represents only about 25% of qualifying Pennsylvanians.

As indicated on the photo below, you can see if you already have a REAL ID by looking for the white star in a gold circle on your license or identification card.

While my office has been advising people who have a passport that REAL ID may be redundant, and that is still true, changes at the federal level may make it imperative that those who do not have a valid passport or proper documentation needed for a REAL ID consider getting that documentation. There is proposed legislation at the federal level which could impact the voting rights of those who don’t have the documents needed to get a REAL ID and I want to draw your attention to it in case it makes you change your decision regarding getting REAL ID or at least ensures that you are aware of the potential need for such documents.

A federal bill called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (HR 22) was introduced in January. House Resolution 22 would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, in person, to register to vote in elections for federal office. Beyond ending online and mail in voter registration, H.R. 22 would require those registering to vote present an eligible document indicating U.S. citizenship; a valid U.S. Passport, military ID, service record, a government issued ID showing U.S. birthplace, or a government-issued ID that does not indicate birthplace or citizenship with a valid secondary document indicating birthplace and citizenship. House Resolution 22 shifts the burden from election officials who under federal law must verify citizenship through an applicant’s driver’s license, Social Security number, or other relevant documentation to putting the onus on applicants to verify citizenship every time they move, get married, or change party affiliation.

While H.R. 22 proports to seek to prevent noncitizens from voting, they are alleging to fix a problem that is minute, as data show that the incidence of noncitizens voting in elections is extremely low. One study indicated that only 77 cases of successful non-citizen voting were found between 1999 and 2023. Many allegations of non-citizen voting are in fact cases of citizens with “foreign sounding names” who are presumed not to be citizens and investigated based on their names alone. Research has shown that the incidence of actual noncitizens voting is less than 0.0003% and that existing penalties have served as a deterrent. The American Civil Liberties Union opposes H.R. 22, contending it adds new barriers to the fundamental right to vote based on unfounded information.

While no one can argue that non-citizens cannot be allowed to vote, this bill will substantially impact the voting rights of women, those of limited means, and populations with less historic access to citizenship documents such as young people, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons of color. Since around 80% of married women change their surname, women are vastly more likely to have identification documents in different names than their citizenship documents which makes it significantly more difficult for them to vote as H.R. 22 is written. House Resolution 22 does not present any options to women or people who have changed their last name to present change-of-name documentation or a marriage certificate in combination with a birth certificate to prove citizenship.

Nationally, 69 million people cannot use their birth certificate to prove citizenship and 2,860,875 women in Pennsylvania do not have birth certificates that match their current legal name. More than 9% of United States citizens, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of citizenship readily available. At least 3.8 million do not have such documentation at all. While over 8% of white American citizens don’t have citizenship documents readily available, that number is 11% for Americans of color. Getting this documentation can be costly in terms of time, money and in some cases may require someone to hire an attorney to track down proof of name changes.

Congress is considering a bill that may disenfranchise more than 10% of the voting population, allegedly to prevent something that happened successfully 77 times in 24 years. It feels like the intention of the bill is to silence the voices of those most likely to be impacted by the bill, women, persons of limited means, people with disabilities, seniors, young people and persons of color rather than to catch illegal votes which are already being addressed by current state and federal law.

I am deeply concerned that H.R. 22 could disenfranchise well over 30 million Americans. I am teaming up with some colleagues at the state level to help Pennsylvanians get REAL ID compliant documents at no or low cost if H.R. 22 passes to help those on the fence get their documentation together, so they’ll be able to vote. I have also co-sponsored legislation to make birth certificates used for the purpose of proving citizenship free of charge should H.R. 22 pass.

My office is also hosting an event on April 2nd to help those wanting to confirm they have the correct documentation to obtain a REAL ID, help you complete applications for missing state related documents, and answer any questions you may have about Read ID.

Please note, applications for REAL ID are not able to be processed at this event, the focus is to assist you in preparing your documents and answering any questions you may have.

I’ll remind you that your advocacy to your federal representatives and senators will make a direct impact and influence the vote on this act so please reach out to them if you’re as concerned about this issue as I am.

No bills that seek to disenfranchise American voters should be tolerated. However, if they come to pass, I will do my utmost not only to keep you informed about how to preserve your voting rights but also act in my capacity as a state representative to ensure that all legal voters are able to vote. We might not always agree on how we vote but, at the very least, let’s agree that no blockades should be erected to limit legal voter’s access to voting.

How to Obtain a Real ID

To obtain a REAL ID, you need several documents such as proof of identity, proof of your social security number, and proof of residency in the commonwealth. You may need additional documentation if you changed your last name and/or a gender designation. For a comprehensive checklist of acceptable documents, please view PennDOT’s REAL ID Document Checklist here. If you need assistance in obtaining documents such as a birth certificate, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (610) 277-3230.

To get a REAL ID, you will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the renewal fee ($39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver's license and $42.50 for a photo ID). The expiration date of your REAL ID product will include any time remaining on your standard license or ID, plus an additional four years, unless you are over 65 and have a two-year license.

PennDOT is offering dedicated time to help Pennsylvanians get their REAL ID. Please note locations with a white star in a gold circle can print and issue the REAL ID onsite.

Constituent Services Corner

2024 Tax Forms and the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program

My office now has 2024 state tax forms. Call or stop by my office today to request copies. For assistance with filing the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, please call 610-277-3230!

Applications are now open for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. This program benefits older adults and Pennsylvanians with disabilities by providing a portion of money back on property taxes or rent paid in the prior year.

It’s quick and easy to apply online at https://pa.gov/PTRR, but my district office can also provide paper applications to anyone interested.

See if you qualify per the income parameters below. Remember, 50% of your Social Security benefit is excluded when determining your income.

Any questions can be directed to my office by calling (610) 277-3230 or emailing RepHanbidge@pahouse.net.

MOBILE OFFICES

AMBLER YMCA – March 17

My office will be at the Amber YMAC, on Monday, March 17, from 11 a.m. - noon. FREE NOTARY services will be available at this mobile office.

North Wales Area Library – March 18

My office will be at the North Wales Area Library, on Tuesday, March 18, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. FREE NOTARY services will be available at this mobile office.

UPCOMING OFFICE EVENTS

Shredding and Electronic Recycling Event – March 22

Join state Reps. Ben Sanchez, Melissa Cerrato and me on Saturday, March 22 at Temple University, Ambler Campus, for a Shredding AND Electronic Recycling event at Temple Ambler from 10 a.m. - noon!

Real ID – April 2

My office is hosting a REAL ID workshop on Wednesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. to answer your questions about Real ID. My office staff along with PennDOT staff will be available to review your documents and assist you in obtaining the proper ones if needed.

Please note, applications are not being processed at this REAL ID, the focus is to assist you in preparing your documents and answering any questions you may have.

License Plate Restoration – April 5

Have a faded, peeling, or hard-to-read PA license plate? We can help!

Join state Reps. Melissa Cerrato, Ben Sanchez, and my office for a License Plate Restoration Event with the Lower Gwynedd Township and Upper Police Departments on Saturday, April 5th from 10 a.m. - noon at Temple University – Ambler Campus, Learning Center Parking Lot, 580 Meetinghouse Road, Ambler PA 19002.

Call my office at 610-277-3230 to register or if you have any questions.