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GOP election law changes would require voters to show identification to vote in person

Early Voting Ohio
Cassandra Thompson votes at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, in Cleveland. Early voting began Tuesday in Ohio's March 6 presidential primary. Early in-person voting is set to continue until March 2, the Friday before the election. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

State House Republicans are pushing a new proposal that makes significant changes to the commonwealth’s election law.

The plan would affect early voting and mail-in ballots, and the changes would also require people to show ID when they vote in-person.

State Rep.Seth Grove (R-York) is introducing a nearly 150-page measure to make a host of changes.

The bill, which was not negotiated with Democrats, comes just three weeks before lawmakers are set to head home for the summer.  

At Protect Our Vote Philly, spokesman Rich Garella says he hasn’t reviewed the plan yet since it was just unveiled.

He would like to see more transparency and clarity in election law but notes requiring people to show ID to vote is “a solution in search of a problem.”

“It’s a bit disappointing that the focus is on things that are not necessarily problems, instead of focusing on things that are problems,” Garella says. 

The complicated legislation would ultimately need approval by Democratic Gov.Tom Wolf, an unlikely prospect, with his office calling the measure “an extremist proposal” meant to undermine confidence in elections.