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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 6, 2021 04:26 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John I. Kane |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Increasing Voter Participation by Creating Election Day Holidays |
| I will soon introduce legislation that will make primary, municipal, and general Election Day a state and municipal holiday. It also allows counties and school districts to observe Election Day as a legal holiday. It will also require private sector employers to provide two hours of unpaid leave on Election Day, to help ensure that working Pennsylvanians are able to cast their ballot. Employers that fail to provide two hours of unpaid leave shall pay a civil penalty of $1,000. Pennsylvanians holding jobs with rigid schedules, long commutes, and lengthy workdays often face limited opportunities to vote, and long lines at their polling places in the short window they have to do so. Consequently, these employees miss out on the opportunity to make their voices heard in our elections. It’s time to make voting easier and more accessible for Pennsylvania’s working population. Making Election Day a state and municipal holiday could increase voter turnout and participation in elections, allowing more Pennsylvanians to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Please join me in sponsoring this important legislation to help all Pennsylvanians vote. |
Introduced as SB863