HARRISBURG -- A coalition of groups representing senior citizens, disabled people and minorities urged the state Senate today to defeat House Bill 934, which would require voters to produce photo identification every time they want to vote.

The opponents included Common Cause, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Senior Law Center, the Pittsburgh-based Black Political Empowerment Project, the Pennsylvania Alliance of Retired Americans and two dozen other groups.

They said the bill, already approved by the House and now before Senate, would "disenfrancise" 340,000 senior citizens, because they don't have a driver's license, the most common form of state-issued photo ID. Critics also said it would cost the state $11 million to come up with alternate photo IDs for nondrivers, a cost the state can't afford at this time.

"Voting is our most cherished right and we can't afford to spend our tax dollars creating new barriers that would prevent citizens from having their vote count," said Jeff Garis of Pennsylvania Voice, which seeks to register people and get them to the polls.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, said the photo ID bill is needed so that "illegal aliens," or undocumented immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally and sometimes use stolen Social Security numbers to establish a false identity, aren't allowed to vote. He said this can be a serious problem, especially in larger cities, but opponents said it doesn't happen that much.

Supporters of the bill use signs reading "Stop Voter Fraud." Opponents of the bill today carried signs reading "Stop Voter Suppression."

Wendy Booker of Wayne, near Philadelphia, said her 93-year-old mother, who has voted in each presidential election since 1940, had to give up her drivers license five years ago and would be unable to vote under this bill. Her mother is angry about losing her ability to vote, Ms. Booker said.

Currently, a voter needs to produce photo ID just for the first time he or she votes in a polling place near where they live, but does not need photo ID for subsequent votes. The new bill would require some form of state-issued photo ID every time a person votes.