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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 28, 2021 12:48 PM |
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| From: | Representative Russ Diamond |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Delaying the 2022 Primary |
| In the near future I will be introducing legislation to postpone the 2022 primary election until August 2, 2022. Such a delay may be necessary to accommodate potential setbacks in the redistricting process and would provide an opportunity to clean up Pennsylvania’s voter rolls. Under my legislation all aspects of the 2022 primary, including deadlines for petitioning and filing for ballot access, would be delayed accordingly. My legislation would also prohibit voter data from the existing SURE system to be transferred to the new, modernized SURE system the Department of State is planning to implement. Essentially, every voter in the Commonwealth would be required to re-register to vote while providing proof of citizenship and residency. Public hearings held over the last several years by the House State Government Committee, the former Auditor General’s December 2019 report on the SURE system, and boots-on-the-ground canvassing efforts in multiple counties across the Commonwealth have all highlighted troubling questions regarding the veracity of our voter rolls. We are all familiar with the term “garbage in, garbage out” when it comes to computerized data systems. As long as serious questions remain about the integrity of the voter data managed by the SURE system, serious questions will remain about the integrity of our electoral process overall. An upgrade to a more modernized SURE system with more bells and whistles will not do one bit of good if the data it manages is riddled with errant and/or outdated voter information. By delaying the primary election by three months, every Pennsylvanian will have ample opportunity to re-register to vote and create certainty regarding the accuracy of our centralized voter registration system, which will promote and restore public confidence in our electoral system. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
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