From PA Voice (https://www.facebook.com/KeystoneVotes/):
Pennsylvania faced its toughest election ever in 2020 when the state had to implement an entirely new voting system amid record turnout during a global pandemic.
The state’s historical performance was defined largely by Act 77 of 2019, a bipartisan measure that made some of the most significant updates to Pennsylvania election laws in 80 years.
Among the major reforms was creation of a new no-excuse vote-by-mail process that gives residents a secure and more convenient way to participate in elections.
The legislative action was prescient.
Because of concerns about public health during the pandemic, more than 2.6 million voters embraced the new law and submitted mail-in ballots during the 2020 General Election.
It was a monumental moment for Pennsylvania elections, and lawmakers should be proud of the early changes they made to ensure it could happen.
Of course, the rollout of any new idea comes with growing pains, so there are things the administration and General Assembly need to do to improve the vote-by-mail system.
FIRST, the state should establish clear guidelines and a better voter notification process so simple mistakes — i.e., someone simply forgot to sign a mail-in ballot — can be fixed before the deadline so that every eligible voter can be confident his or her vote will be counted.
“Voters across the political spectrum support transparent ballot notification processes that allow voters to fix small, honest mistakes so that their votes can be counted,” said Kay Cook, Regional Director at Secure Democracy. “Pennsylvania has an opportunity to restore public trust in our elections and strengthen election integrity by establishing a uniform notification process.”
The technology already exists to ensure this notification process is safe, secure, seamless and convenient. With electronic poll books, election officials can review and maintain voter information in real time.
“Ballot fixing is essential to our democracy to prevent mass disenfranchisement,” said Michelle Kim, Civic Engagement Coordinator at SEAMAAC. “Rejected mail-in ballots disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly immigrant and refugee communities who already face an additional language barrier around the new process of vote-by-mail. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had record voter turnout in the 2020 election largely due to the expanded access to vote by mail, and it is vital we continue to ensure they have a voice in our democracy.”
SECOND, the state needs to change the pre-canvassing process so that counties can begin to process and prepare ballots for tabulation prior to Election Day. Republicans and Democrats alike support this idea.
Pre-canvassing isn’t vote counting. It simply allows counties to open envelopes, verify signatures, flatten and stack ballots, and then lock them up securely so results can be determined more quickly once tabulation begins on Election Day.
The practice is fairly common. Among states that allow mail-in voting, more than two dozen already allow election officials to begin the process of preparing the ballots for tabulation before Election Day.
Regardless of political affiliation, all of us want the same thing: safe, secure, modern elections that are fair, accurate and accessible to all — because our democracy works best when all citizens participate. Simple, commonsense changes to the state’s vote-by-mail process will make that happen.
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