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Forget Republicans or Democrats. If there's one group likely to be inconvenienced by the state's new voter ID law in November, it's the elderly.

A Morning Call analysis of the state's admittedly flawed database of voters who may lack valid state-issued ID shows those over age 65 are more likely than any other age group to be caught without the identification they will need to vote in the presidential election.

In the 13 southeastern Pennsylvania counties -- from Philadelphia in the south to Dauphin in the west and Schuylkill in the north -- that account for close to half of the state's 8.3 million registered voters, about 15 percent of those over 65 may not have valid ID.

It's even more pronounced in the Lehigh Valley, where seniors make up 21 percent of registered voters in Lehigh and Northampton counties but 33 percent of voters the state has identified as lacking state-issued photo ID.

"The reason you will see more seniors without ID at this point is especially for older seniors, many have voluntarily given up their driver's licenses and have decided they don't need to drive," said Ray Landis, advocacy manager for AARP of Pennsylvania. "They are not doing the kinds of things that require them to have a state-issued photo ID."

Reaching those voters and getting them ID before the election won't be easy because "many are homebound and not active and out in their communities," he said.

Ernie Geissenhainer discovered last week that he'd need to get photo ID. The 80-year-old Emmaus resident has a military ID card, but it doesn't have a picture. And he no longer drives, so he gave up his driver's license.

The Korean War-era Navy vet said he'll probably go to a PennDOT license center to get a non-driver ID so he can vote, but it will be an inconvenience.

"There must be many people in the same boat I am in," Geissenhainer said.

John Mahler, director of Northampton County's Area Agency on Aging, said he's heard little demand for photo ID among users of the county's senior centers. A forum the agency hosted in Easton earlier this year drew only one attendee.

"I'm sure there are seniors who lack appropriate ID. I also run into a significant number of seniors who aren't interested in voting," Mahler said.

Opponents of voter ID have argued that the Republican-written law, which was upheld in Commonwealth Court last week, will result in tens of thousands of people being turned away at the polls on Election Day because they lack proper identification. The opponents also say the law will disproportionately affect the poor, the aged, younger voters and minorities -- all of whom have historically voted Democrat.

The data suggest the large number of elderly voters who may lack ID could blunt any Republican advantage, despite Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai's remark that the law "would allow Gov. Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."

Seniors traditionally vote in large numbers and national polls have shown they heavily favor Romney.

Conversely, young voters aged 18-25, a group that polls show leaning toward President Barack Obama, make up just 9 percent of Lehigh Valley voters who may lack state-issued ID, or 12 percent across the Southeast.

Still, the overall numbers suggest more Democrats lack ID than Republicans, especially in vote-rich Philadelphia.