Pennsylvania lags behind the vast majority of states when it comes to making sure voters can count on 21st century convenience and security at the ballot box.
One way to modernize our system is to allow and establish clear guidelines for vote centers.
We saw how effective options like this can be in the 2020 General Election as thousands of voters took advantage of satellite election offices, where they could register to vote, apply for mail ballots, fill them out, and return them on site.
Sanctioned vote centers give voters the chance to safely and securely cast a ballot whether they are by their home, job, school or anywhere that is convenient. Voters can vote at any vote center in their jurisdiction, regardless of their personal residential address.
As a bonus, vote centers also would require fewer people to staff an election, relieving much of the pressure election administrators face recruiting poll workers.
“Vote centers operated by trained election staff and open to any voter in a given county would constitute another enormous leap forward for the Commonwealth. Such centers would provide a convenient and secure voting option for Pennsylvanians,” said Patrick Christmas, Policy Director for the Committee of Seventy, a member of Keystone Votes.
Christmas also serves on the Pennsylvania Election Law Advisory Board, which was established under Act 12 of 2020 to recommend ways the General Assembly can improve the election process.
For sure, more needs to be done to modernize our election system, including changing the way people vote. There’s no reason every voter should have to vote on one specific day.
“We have an obligation to ensure that everyone can practice the right to vote. For far too long our communities have been disenfranchised from this right. Voting centers are one way to ensure voting is accessible to all,” said Diana Robinson, Civic Engagement Director from Make the Road Pennsylvania. “Having multiple avenues for people to vote allows everyone to participate in our democracy. Voting centers can help remove roadblocks that often create obstacles for our communities to vote. Voting should be convenient, accessible, and celebrated!”
It is time for Pennsylvania to give eligible voters more convenient ways to cast their ballots so every voice is heard and every vote is counted.
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