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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2019 04:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ed Gainey |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Modernizing Pennsylvania’s Voter Registration Process |
| In order to have a strong democracy, citizen participation must be encouraged. One way in which this can be achieved is by removing barriers, such as arbitrary registration deadlines, that prevent qualified Pennsylvanians from being able to exercise their right to vote. I will be offering legislation to help Pennsylvania realize this goal that will transfer the onus of registration from individuals to the Department of State through a process referred to as automatic voter registration. Qualified voters who utilize services through the Department of Transportation, Department of Human Services, or the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will be automatically registered to vote unless they choose to opt-out. Those who remain registered will have the opportunity to choose a political affiliation if they wish and will receive a voter identification card in the mail. As of December 2018, 16 states and Washington, D.C. provide automatic voter registration for individuals qualified to vote. Two years ago, only 6 states offered this service. Please join me in modernizing and streamlining Pennsylvania’s voter registration process by supporting this legislation. |
Introduced as HB306
Memo Updated: January 14, 2019 04:12 PM