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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 2, 2024 11:07 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Brad Roae |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Suspend Mail In Voting for 3 Years |
| Almost all of the many problems in the 2024 election cycle with voters being disenfranchised centered around mail in ballots. Some people want to keep mail in voting and others want to get rid of it. The compromise position is to keep it but suspend it until 01/01/28. That would give about three years to fix all of the flaws and have a uniform, safe and secure process across all 67 counties. In Erie County over 10,000 people who requested mail in ballots did not receive them in time to mail back by the deadline. Many people received them the day before the election. In Luzerne County the name of a candidate for State Representative was spelled wrong on mail in ballots. Candidates have the right to have their names on the ballot that match their names on the petitions, candidate affidavits and campaign reports they filed. Voters have the right to have an accurate list of candidates on the ballots they are using. In Bucks county voters exercising their right to vote at the election office with a mail in ballot were disenfranchised by being thrown out of line and not allowed to vote. Also in Bucks County rogue election board members blatantly and intentionally violated a direct order from the PA Supreme Court to not count illegal mail in ballots. The words “drop box” do not appear in the PA Election Code but some counties use them for mail in ballots and some counties don’t use them so election procedures are not uniform as required by the PA Constitution. Some counties have several drop boxes and even drop boxes in vans that drive around in selected areas. Ballot curing of mail in ballots is not done at all in some counties, other counties contact voters who make an error, other counties don’t tell voters they made errors but let voters ask if they made an error, etc. The uniformity requirement of the PA Constitution is not followed and some voters are disenfranchised. The deadline to apply for a mail in ballot is only one week before the election and creates tremendous stress, opportunity for errors and distracts from making final arrangements for the in person at the polling sites on Election Day work. Voters are disenfranchised by being told they can apply to vote by mail a week before the election but with processing time, mailing time to the voter, time for the voter to complete their ballot and mailing time back is unrealistic with just seven days. Voters receive dozens of applications for mail in ballots from candidates, parties, groups, etc. causing confusion if they already applied for one or have told their county they don’t want one. Some voters cancel their first mail in ballot requested and request a replacement ballot but end up with two ballots and then don’t know which one to use and which one will be rejected. Some advocacy groups are collecting applications for voter registration forms and mail in ballots over a several month period but then dumping them all at once on the deadline at county election boards. It is creating concern and confusion as voters think their applications were lost so they apply again thus creating even more work for county election offices. Mail in voting also creates tens of millions of dollars in additional costs for the 67 counties, without offsetting reductions in Election Day costs. Uniformity as required by the PA Constitution and efficiencies created by uniformity would bring the costs down. During the 2025 and 2026 Session we can correct all of these things and then have a full year in 2027 for the Department of State and county election boards to conduct the necessary education and training that election workers need to reflect the improvements in the PA Election Code. Voters would have a year to learn about the improved vote by mail option. Parties, candidates, political advocacy groups, etc. would have a year to learn about keeping things legal while working on mail in voting. Elections effective after 01/01/2028, which is the next Presidential election, would be conducted with the improved and uniform mail in voting law. Voters in all 67 counties and election boards in all 67 counties would all use the exact same laws, rules, regulations, procedures and guidance. Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation. |
Memo Updated: December 2, 2024 11:12 AM