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The Department of State has come up with a system to make it easier for voters to get the documents they need to secure a proper photo ID. Those who do not have a birth certificate with a raised seal from the commonwealth will not have to purchase a new one for $10 because the newly implemented system allows officials to certify the birth records of Pennsylvanians electronically.
Department of State spokesman Ron Ruman said Pennsylvania-born residents can now head to a PennDOT licensing center, submit their personal information, and wait for it to be cross-checked against the Department of Health's birth certificate records. He said once it is found, the person will receive a letter to report back to PennDOT.
"Now when they return to the driver license center, they'll need Social Security card and two proofs of residence," Ruman said. "Those are the same requirements for anyone getting a PennDOT ID for the first time."
Ruman expects the process to take about ten days from start to finish. The state is offering refunds to those who can prove they ordered a birth certificate to obtain a photo ID so that they could vote.
Ruman said when the Voter ID law was passed, multiple state agencies began working together to make it as simple as possible for Pennsylvanians to obtain a photo ID. He said it took a while to develop this system of securely sending information electronically between PennDOT and the Department of Health.
"We have to make sure that it's done in a way that the identity of everyone is verified, so I think we are turning over every rock that we possibly can. That's certainly been out intent from day one and working with other state agencies to do that as well," Ruman said.