Rep. Tom Mehaffie is pictured at an event in Derry. Mehaffie is joining with fellow Republican Kathleen Tomlinson and Democrat Frank Burns to introduce voter ID legislation in the state House.

Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his automatic voter registration via executive action in mid-September. Commonwealth residents who are obtaining new or renewed driver licenses and ID cards and are eligible to vote will be automatically taken through the voter registration application process unless they opt out of doing so. Previously, eligible voters were required to take additional steps to opt into the voter registration process.

That decision — which Shapiro said didn’t need legislative approval — has been met with opposition from Republicans who have mulled lawsuits to stop automatic voter registration as well as the ire of former President Donald Trump.

“THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO STEAL PENNSYLVANIA AGAIN BY DOING THE ‘AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION’ SCAM,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

States began enacting automatic voter registration systems in 2015, and versions of it have now spread to 24 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most of those states are left-leaning, but they also include Republican-controlled Alaska, Georgia and West Virginia. Three lawmakers, Republicans Thomas Mehaffie and Kathleen Tomlinson as well as Democrat Frank Burns, are circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation they are drafting that will require voter identification, specifically citing automatic voter registration as a reason. Mehaffie, Burns and Tomlinson haven’t formally introduced their legislation yet, but say it will require all voters to show identification or attest under penalty of law that they are legally able to vote in Pennsylvania and to their identify when they go to the polls.

Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, is pictured with former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a Republican. Burns is co-sponsoring voter ID legislation with a pair of Republican state House members.

It’s unlikely the three GOP lawmakers’ proposal makes it through the state House of Representatives given the slim majority Democrats hold in the chamber.

“Voting is a sacred privilege — a constitutional right of every United States citizen and should be closely guarded,” the Republican lawmakers wrote in their legislative memorandum. “This belief should be the bipartisan goals that guide Pennsylvanian’s efforts regarding election law. Our democracy works best when we all participate. Recently Gov. Shapiro announced that individuals who obtain a driver’s license or state identification card will be automatically registered to vote. The public must have confidence in our elections, specifically that the ballots we cast are legitimate, and the will of the citizenry will be heard. Pennsylvania can no longer ignore a growing chorus of Americans who believe we can do more to secure the votes of every Pennsylvanian.”

Voter ID laws aren’t new in Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, the state Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would amend the state constitution to require voter identification. That proposal would have allowed 15 forms of identification to confirm a voter’s identity, including forms of identification without a photo like confirmation from the county voter registration office, a non-photo ID issued by the state or U.S. governments, a firearm permit, utiltiy bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check.

“I have consistently supported and voted in favor of legislation requiring voter ID throughout my time in the General Assembly,” said Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster and Senate majority whip. “Voter ID increases voter confidence, strengthens election security, and eliminates errors all without impacting a citizen’s Constitutional right to vote – AND it’s supported by the vast majority of Pennsylvanians and Americans.”