Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

The 2020 Presidential Election was historic and it is no surprise that Pennsylvania played a pivotal role in the outcome.  Due of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 2.5 million residents votes were successfully cast through the state’s new mail-in ballot system.  This concept is not new.  In fact, at least five other states allow all elections to be conducted by mail.  Some have even used this simple, easy, safe and accommodating means for decades.   

 

For these reasons I will be reintroducing a form of my SB 1129 from last session that would change Pennsylvania’s voting system so that all elections would be conduct entirely by mail.  Pre-postage attached ballots would be mailed out before Election Day.  Voters would be given several days to determine who they would like to vote for and once the decision is made, mark their ballots, and place it into the mail.  Additionally, my legislation will allow pre-canvassing of the ballots up to seven days before Election Day so that Pennsylvania is not in the same predicament as the most recent General Election.   

 

An all mail-in ballot voting system is not only convenient and garners great voter participation but also boosts significant benefits like financial savings on jurisdictions and a reduction in need of poll workers. While we don’t know when the current pandemic will end or be certain another catastrophic event will occur in the near future, enacting a statewide mail-in ballot election would remove one more time-consuming duty off our residences’ plates.  I hope you will join me in co sponsoring this safety-first bill.