Legislation Quick Search
Advanced Search
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/18/2024 03:48 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=21062
Share:
Home / House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 5, 2016 02:40 PM
From: Representative Pam Snyder
To: All House members
Subject: Early Voting and No-Excuse Absentee Balloting (Former House Bill 521)
 
In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation (formerly House Bill 521 of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session) that would provide Pennsylvania voters with access to early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting.

Currently, qualified electors in Pennsylvania can only vote in person on Election Day and may only vote by absentee ballot if they are unable to go to the polls due to medical, military, or religious reasons, or due to occupational duties that would cause the elector to be away from their municipality on Election Day. However, in recent years, several states have expanded access to electors though the implementation of early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting.

This legislation would amend the Pennsylvania Election Code by authorizing early voting eight days prior to Election Day and would end on the day directly preceding Election Day. Early voting would take place at specific polling locations that have been designated as early voting sites and established by a county’s board of elections. In addition, this legislation would provide for no-excuse absentee balloting by extending eligibility to any qualified elector regardless of the reason they are unable to vote on Election Day.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 34 states and the District of Columbia provide some form of early voting, while 27 states and the District of Columbia offer no-excuse absentee balloting. A number of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states, including Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia, are among such states which offer expanded pre-election day voting options to electors.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that would provide qualified electors with early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting in Pennsylvania.

Introduced as HB75