To obtain an absentee ballot in Centre County, a registered voter downloads an application through the county website, fills it out — including state Department of Transportation ID number or last four digits of Social Security number — and mails it in.

The application itself does not anywhere state that a photo copy of the ID must be attached.

However, the elections office website advises that a copy be attached in applicable cases that are not defined.

The new voter ID law impacts absentee voters as well as those at the polls.

In Centre County many voters will be disenfranchised as a result.

Susan B. Smith Ferguson Township