A judge recently postponed Pennsylvania’s voter identification requirement, which would have forced each voter to present valid photo ID for upcoming general election. Not everyone got the message. Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s largest energy utility, PECO, admitted to sending a newsletter to more than one million of its customers which advises them to present a valid photo ID to vote. A spokeswoman said the wording was approved in August and printed a month later – before the recent ruling by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson. Bob Warner of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
On Election Day, Pennsylvania voters will be asked to show photo ID, but will be allowed to vote whether they have it or not.
Cathy Engel Menendez, a Peco spokeswoman, said the newsletter wording was approved in August and Peco began printing them around Sept. 12 – a week before the state Supreme Court sent the case back to Simpson and told him he should tolerate no voter disenfranchisement.
“We were trying to do a service for our customers in Pennsylvania, to get the word out,” said Ben Armstrong, another Peco spokesman. “Because of the press time of this particular publication, unfortunately the information in there is not entirely correct.”
Customers who contact the company about the issue are being advised to consult the Department of State’s website, www.votespa.com, or call the state at 1-877-868-3772. The problem is that people who read the inaccurate mailing from Peco will have no reason to call the company unless they suspect the newsletter is wrong.
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