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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 19, 2023 09:42 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Dan K. Williams |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Allowing for Early Counting of Mail-in and Absentee Ballots |
| After we reformed our voting system, election officials started expressing concern about how long it would take to count absentee ballots and mail-in ballots. Those concerns turned out to be founded, as counties were not able to finish canvassing their ballots until nearly a week after Election Day in 2020[1] due to an historic number of ballots cast by mail. Current law prohibits election officials from counting any ballot before Election Day, even when that ballot arrives days or weeks early — a barrier that is certain to create a logjam in reporting. More than a quarter of states have acted to prevent such backups by allowing election workers to pre-process ballots before Election Day.[2] It is past time for Pennsylvania to join them. That is why I am introducing a bill allowing counties to begin counting ballots before polls close if they receive those ballots before Election Day. Under my bill, they will not be able to report results until after polls close, but they will be able to start counting ballots. Our democracy relies on the hard work of dedicated election officials. Please join me in alleviating the burden they face and preventing electoral logjams in future elections. |
Introduced as HB858