Pennsylvania counties are one step closer to having more time to process mail-in ballots for elections after a state House committee voted on Monday to pass a bill that would allow for pre-canvassing.
Under the bill, election officials would be allowed to open mail-in ballot envelopes and prepare them to be tallied prior to Election Day — something that administrators in Pennsylvania have long argued would allow counties to report elections quicker.The bill, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Scott Conklin, would give counties seven days to process mail-in and absentee ballots before Election Day.
The bill would update state law to clarify that simple voter mistakes, such as not placing a ballot inside an inner secrecy envelope or not dating the return envelope, would not be grounds for disqualifying a ballot. It also would require counties to notify voters if there were deficiencies in their ballot.
It is unclear whether Shapiro will sign the bill, but he has expressed support for pre-canvassing and voter ID. While state Democrats and Republicans have been open to pre-canvassing, the bill could stall due to party conflicts over other election measures. Pennsylvania Republicans are stressing voter ID as a top election law priority."Voters deserve to have confidence in our electoral process,” state Senate Republican spokeswoman Kate Flessner said. “A holistic approach to addressing concerns is most appropriate, with voter identification being a key component.
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