About 18,700 York County voters don't have a driver's license.

While right now that means they can't drive to the polls come November, it means they might have a tough time trying to vote at all.

The state's new photo-identification law for voters kicks in this fall, and the latest numbers from the Department of State show far more people than estimated don't have the most common form of photo ID. Without a license or other form of ID, such as a passport, a voter will be turned away at the poll.

Early estimates, done when lawmakers were considering the voter ID bill, had about 90,000 voters statewide lacking a license. Now the number is up to about 759,000.

But Department of State spokesman Ron Ruman said there's no major concern about widespread prevention of voting.

About 20 percent of voters without a license haven't voted in years, while many others likely have some other accepted photo ID such as college, military or assisted living identification.

And if people want to vote, the state will help them, he said.

"We try to make it as simple and easy as possible" to get a photo ID, Ruman said. "We hope most folks don't view that as an undue burden."

In York County, more than 18,700 eligible voters don't have a driver's license, but nearly 5,000 of them haven't voted since 2007. There are about 270,000 voters in the county, meaning 7 percent don't have a driver's license.

The law is meant to help deter voter fraud, although Ruman said the state doesn't keep track of documented cases of voter fraud and couldn't cite specific instances of it occurring.

"It's almost impossible to really detect it," at the state level, he said.

Getting ID: Ruman and York County Elections and Voter Registration Director Nikki Suchanic highlighted other ways for people to be able to vote this fall if they don't have a license, passport or other accepted photo ID.

Anyone can visit a PennDOT office and fill out an Oath Affirmation form. A social security card, a birth certificate or certificate of U.S. citizenship or naturalization, and two other proof of identification methods are needed, such as a utility bill or lease. A photo ID will then be supplied.

If that person doesn't have their birth certificate, PennDOT is willing to call and confirm the details with state records on behalf of the customer.

The state is planning on contacting every person who is listed as not having a driver's license and is eligible to vote. Suchanic said the county likely will wait to see how the state effort plays out first.

Suchanic said she thinks this year's presidential election will prompt people to make the effort to get a photo ID.

"It normally piques a lot of people's interest. It may persuade people who otherwise would say never mind," she said.

County by county:About 91 percent of voters statewide have a valid driver's license to vote this fall when the new voter ID law kicks in, according to the Department of State. The number of registered voters by county who do not have a PennDOT driver's license:

Cumberland: 16,155 active / 2,322 inactive / 18,477 overall voters

Dauphin: 9,345 active / 1,746 inactive / 11,091 overall

Lancaster: 15,289 active / 4,765 inactive / 20,053 overall

York: 13,926 active / 4,837 inactive / 18,763 overall

Statewide: 591,373 active / 167,566 inactive / 758,939 overall

-- Reach Andrew Shaw at ashaw@yorkdispatch.com