PRINTER'S NO. 1493
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
100
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, FREEMAN, N. NELSON, SANCHEZ, DELLOSO,
SCHLOSSBERG, HOHENSTEIN, WARREN, MALAGARI AND CIRESI,
MAY 10, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 10, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
study on the current utilization of poll workers, polling
places, voting compartments and voting machines to determine
the best course of action in order to minimize the time
investment required to vote and ensure that the average time
required to vote does not promote inequities based on
geography, economic status, race, gender or other relevant
factors.
WHEREAS, The United States conducts elections unlike any
other country in the world, empowering states to implement
elections by entrusting local officials in approximately 8,000
jurisdictions to run elections; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, all elections are conducted in each
voting precinct by a district election board; and
WHEREAS, District election boards consist of a majority
inspector of election and minority inspector of election, a
clerk and a voting machine inspector; and
WHEREAS, Poll workers are often volunteers who have received
only a few hours of training; and
WHEREAS, The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as
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the Pennsylvania Election Code, stipulates that election
districts may not contain more than 1,200 registered electors,
except for good cause shown, and requires each election district
to contain a polling place; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Election Code requires that each
polling place have at least one voting compartment for every 200
registered electors, or a fraction thereof, and have no more
than one machine for every 350 electors, or a fraction thereof,
nor less than one machine for every 600 electors, or a fraction
thereof; and
WHEREAS, A combination of factors often leads to increased
wait times at polling places, discouraging individuals from
voting and disproportionately affecting poorer citizens with
less flexibility at work; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, Black and Latino voters waited in line for
11 minutes on average, compared to just 9 minutes on average for
white voters; and
WHEREAS, As the percentage of nonwhite voters in a precinct
increased, so did the time it took to cast a ballot; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, some voters saw major delays at polling
places, especially in majority-minority neighborhoods; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
State Government Commission to conduct a study on the current
utilization of poll workers, polling places, voting compartments
and voting machines to determine the best course of action in
order to minimize the time investment required to vote and
ensure that the average time required to vote does not promote
inequalities based upon geography, economic status, race, gender
or other relevant factors; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission study
shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) A breakdown of the current utilization of poll
workers, polling places, voting compartments and voting
machines by county and by election district.
(2) The average wait time to vote by county.
(3) The average wait time to vote based upon geography,
economic status, race, gender and any other factor deemed
relevant by the Joint State Government Commission.
(4) What extent changes can be made at the county level
to minimize wait times for in-person voting.
(5) What extent changes can be made at the election
district level to minimize wait times for in-person voting.
(6) Recommendations for legislative or administrative
action to minimize wait times for in-person voting;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from the Department of State
and the Secretary of the Commonwealth for the study on behalf of
the House of Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from county boards of
elections for the study on behalf of the House of
Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from district election boards
for the study on behalf of the House of Representatives; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission report
its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives
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no later than one year after the adoption of this resolution.
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