A congressional candidate in Pennsylvania may not be able to vote for himself in the November elections, thanks to one of the country’s most stringent voter ID laws. Washington County Commission Chairman Larry Maggi’s driver’s license lists his full name as “Lawrence Owen Maggi,” but his voter registration reads “Larry Maggi” — a small but significant discrepancy under Pennsylvania’s new voter ID regulations. They require the name on the voter registration to “substantially conform” to the name on the driver’s license. The disparity in Maggi’s names caught the attention of Pennsylvania’s Department of State, which notified Maggi in an advisory letter, according to the Observer-Reporter. Maggi, a Democrat running for Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, is now pushing back with a new website called “Let Larry Vote” that highlights his potential problem at the polls given the voter ID crackdown.
“Larry’s voter registration reads ‘Larry Maggi’ while his driver’s license ‘Lawrence Owen Maggi,'” a welcome message on the new website says. “That’s enough for the GOP to challenge, and potentially deny, Larry’s right to vote.”
The Observer-Reporter reported Friday that Maggi’s predicament is not unique: Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr had to revise his voter registration to delete his middle initial, which does not appear on his driver’s license. Maggi could be joined by more than 750,000 Pennsylvania voters if they do not act to comply with the voter ID law, according to a study released earlier this summer by state officials.
Full Article: Larry Maggi, Pennsylvania Congressional Candidate, Could Lose Vote Under Voter ID Law.