No one asks Mitt Romney for his birth certificate, the state of PA asks

[enough]

my 97-year-old father-in-law for his birth certificate in order to be "allowed" to vote.

A man who has been living at the same address for over 50 years, who votes regularly, who follows politics on TV and the internet.

He has to produce his birth certificate from 1915 in order to be able to vote this year in Pennsylvania.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

1. I'm surprised that ALL Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates don't have to show

birth certificates when they file to run. These are the only two jobs in the entire country with a Constitutional mandate for citizenship, so you would think they would have to show it in order to run.

[K8-EEE]

2. Really good point! nt

[napkinz]

5. my reaction too

kick

[zentrum]

3. My grandmother at age 93 ...

...has no photo ID. She lives in the city and doesn't drive. We took her to get a photo ID and they said she had to have a birth certificate. She has none. Her passport is from 1948! Not sure how she secured that at the time and now it's too old for them to honor. For the first time in her life, she may not be able to vote. A card carrying democrat, second generation American, who has lived at her current address for 50 years--may not be able to vote.

Outrageous.

[dflprincess]

4. Just a heads up

if you find a way to get your grandmother's birth legally confirmed she will also need a copy of her marriage certificate to explain her name change - no matter how long ago it happened.

Several years ago I took my mom to get a MN state ID card (just so she'd have ID) and we had a real laugh riot with a young clerk who was somewhat taken aback by her typed birth certificate (it was a copy she had picked up in 1942) and couldn't understand why her marriage license (issued in 1946) didn't say what name she would use after the wedding. Fortunately an older clerk was able to point out that the a) birth certificate had the county seal on it and, yes, that's how they used to look and b) in 1946 it was just assumed the bride would take the groom's name.

[enough]

6. We were able to get an official duplicate birth certificate online for my FIL.

A 1915 certificate from Brooklyn NY. Of course it cost $40, which is a poll tax for sure. He had to know what hospital he was born in, and other information about his parents. It took several weeks for the document to arrive in the mail.

The whole thing makes my blood boil.

[scarletlib]

7. Don't let your parents lose their right to vote. Get absentee ballots for them.

From what I understand no one has to show ID when voting absentee. Also you should contact some of the lawyers and groups that are fighting this and let them know about your parents.

[eShirl]

9. +99999

[malaise]

8. Great post!!

Rec

[myrna minx]

10. That's an excellent point! In addition, we have to show several years of tax returns to buy a house

or if you're self employed 3 years to *rent* an apartment, yet we're supposed to just trust crooked Mittens.