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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 29, 2021 03:52 PM |
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| From: | Representative Regina G. Young |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Pre-Canvassing Mail-in and Absentee Ballots |
| The pillars of democracy rely on the ability of every citizen to make their voice heard when they cast their vote in federal, state, and local elections. As members of the state legislature, we truly understand how important the right to vote is. Without the people of our communities using their voice on election day, we would not be serving as Pennsylvania state representatives. Since the passage of Act 77 of 2019, Pennsylvania voters have been able to cast their votes via mail-in ballot. This has given voters the flexibility to cast their vote in their own time in the weeks leading up to election day. However, county election workers now have significantly more work to complete on election day as state law pertaining to the pre-canvassing of ballots was not updated alongside the introduction of no-excuse voting by mail. This oversight effectively prohibits county boards of elections from having adequate time to open, sort, and count all ballots received. To minimize the volume of work that county boards of elections must complete on election day, I am introducing legislation to require the pre-canvassing of ballots at least once at any point up to seven days prior to election day. This legislation will ease the restrictions placed on county boards of elections by providing more time to open, sort, and count the votes from all mail-in and absentee ballots. Now is the time to enact this commonsense piece of legislation to improve efficiency and lessen the burden that is currently placed on our county election workers. Please join me in showing the people of Pennsylvania that we are willing to work in a bipartisan manner to keep our elections running smoothly. |
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Introduced as HB2249