Will you be allowed to vote?

THE BIGGEST thing at stake in the April 24 primary is no single race or candidate, but the right of Pennsylvania citizens to vote at all.

Last month, state lawmakers passed one of the country's toughest voter-ID laws, which Gov. Corbett signed. It will require voters to show state-issued identification. The primary election will be the "dress rehearsal" for this new law, which takes effect with the November election.

Potential voters who show up in April without a photo ID will be allowed to vote, but citizens are being encouraged to bring ID. From what we understand about the hoops that many people have to jump through in order to get the right documentation, we wonder if November is too soon for compliance.

Those who don't have a driver's license or an acceptable photo ID (such as a passport or government-employee ID) will have to bring a Social Security card AND a birth certificate AND two proofs of residency to a PennDOT License Center in order to be issued a card. Good luck with that if you're elderly, disabled, poor or otherwise unable to provide such a dossier of your legal standing.

And to add insult to this injurious law — which lawmakers claim they passed in order to avoid voter fraud, although fraud has not been established as even a small problem — those whose religious beliefs prohibit them from having their photo taken, like the 60,000 Amish in the state, will have to answer an 18-item questionnaire delving into their personal religious beliefs, including questions like, "What's the process by which you came to the religion," and "Describe the ways in which your religion affects your daily life."

We don't even want to think about the criteria for approving or rejecting such questionnaires.

No wonder many Democrats describe this as a "voter suppression" law. They are particularly concerned that this will discourage the minority vote, especially in cities where many don't have driver's licenses. But voter suppression can also happen on Election Day, as the chaos and confusion that is likely to reign, as workers check IDs and turn away those not "qualified" to vote, discourage people from standing in the long lines that are likely to ensue.

The Committee of Seventy, the city's watchdog, has this issue between its teeth; it has created a wealth of materials to guide people through the bureaucratic nightmare that is now required to exercise our rights as citizens.

Find answers, as well as a hot line (1-866-OUR-VOTE) and other information, at www.seventy.org.

The committee, along with a coalition of other organizations,will be manning the polls on April 24 to answer questions. They're looking for volunteers to help with this effort.

The one potential silver lining in this disturbing law: The potential suppression of their vote could be the thing that finally drives people to the polls. n