State Rep. Frank Dermody leads the House Democratic Caucus, having been re-elected every two years since he first won a House seat in 1990. But he might not be able to vote in the Nov. 6 general election. The Oakmont lawmaker on Wednesday said he received a letter from Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele suggesting he might not have adequate voter identification to cast a ballot under the state’s new voter-identification law. The department recently compared voter lists with databases from PennDOT, which issues the primary form of acceptable photo ID — a driver’s license. On his driver’s license, the lawmaker is Frank J. Dermody. His given name, however, is Francis J. Dermody. He said he has been trying to shed “Francis” since he was 16.
The letter is indicative of the confusion that surrounds the state’s voter ID law, which the Republican-led House and Senate approved, Dermody said. A challenge is pending in Commonwealth Court, and Judge Robert Simpson could issue a decision this month. Simpson will issue a ruling whether the law should be suspended for the Nov. 6 election. “This certainly isn’t ready to be implemented in November,” Dermody said.
Full Article: State Democratic leader says ID law could prevent him from voting | TribLIVE.