Gov. Tom Wolf has signed into law the most significant revision to Pennsylvania election laws in about 80 years. With one important exception, the new law truly constitutes reform. The law eliminates Pennsylvania's status as the state with the most restrictive laws regarding absentee voting and, therefore, holds the promise of vastly increasing voting access.
Beginning next year, voters no longer will need an excuse to get an absentee ballot. That, in effect, means that anyone can vote by mail in any or every election. Even better, the law expands the window to obtain and return absentee ballots. The application deadline is reduce to 15 days before the election from 30 days and, most important, allows the ballot to be returned up to 8 p.m. on Election Day instead of 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. That will result in thousands more votes being counted rather than disqualified, ending Pennsylvania's ranking as the state with the highest level of absentee rejections. And it is even more important in light of the other changes regarding absentee ballots.
Unfortunately, those improvements come at the cost of a regressive measure -- elimination of straight-party voting. That likely will reduce the vote count in down-ballot races, which was the objective of Republican lawmakers who insisted on the measure in exchange for actual reforms. The administration carefully should monitor that voting and be prepared to move for straight-ticket restoration. The bill also authorizes borrowing of up to $90 million to help counties pay for secure new voting systems required by the administration in response to a federal mandate.
Statewide, the new systems for 67 counties will cost between $125 million and $148 million. Lawmakers also agreed to provide $4 million to help prepare for the 2020 census, but they should reconsider and provide the full $13 million recommended by a commission that studied the issue. According to the administration, each uncounted resident will cost the state $2,100 in federal money, which is distributed according to census figures. The census is a nonpartisan matter, and lawmakers of both parties should ensure that the state is not subjected to a costly under-count.
The Citizens' Voice