Counties not at fault for different election practices
News Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
It cannot be stressed enough that counties want clear, explicit rules when it comes to election procedure.
Pennsylvania counties take great pride in administering secure, fair and accurate elections, and their sole priority is to do so in compliance with the state and federal laws governing their operations. Unfortunately, recent reports suggest that counties are disenfranchising voters by playing loose with these laws and creating their own rules, when in fact the lack of consistency in election practices among counties is a direct function of the law within which they are forced to work through no fault of their own.
Since the enactment of Act 77 of 2019, counties have identified areas of the Election Code that need to be addressed and clarified in the wake of multiple court decisions and appeals to help counties meet their responsibilities for election administration and to provide efficient and accurate results.
For three straight years, Pennsylvania’s counties have had a clear cut priority urging the legislature and administration to enact expanded precanvassing and extended mail-in ballot application deadlines, as well as other reforms that focus explicitly on resolving ambiguities around areas such drop boxes, ballot signatures and curing, among others.
It cannot be stressed enough that counties want clear, explicit rules when it comes to election procedure. But as long as the Election Code in Pennsylvania remains as it is, counties will have to bear the responsibility of implementing practices that they believe are the best interpretation of a flawed law. While counties oversee the administration of elections, the time is well overdue for a clear state law to help enhance the public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections.
See the 2023 priorities here
Since the enactment of Act 77 of 2019, counties have identified areas of the Election Code that need to be addressed and clarified in the wake of multiple court decisions and appeals to help counties meet their responsibilities for election administration and to provide efficient and accurate results.
For three straight years, Pennsylvania’s counties have had a clear cut priority urging the legislature and administration to enact expanded precanvassing and extended mail-in ballot application deadlines, as well as other reforms that focus explicitly on resolving ambiguities around areas such drop boxes, ballot signatures and curing, among others.
It cannot be stressed enough that counties want clear, explicit rules when it comes to election procedure. But as long as the Election Code in Pennsylvania remains as it is, counties will have to bear the responsibility of implementing practices that they believe are the best interpretation of a flawed law. While counties oversee the administration of elections, the time is well overdue for a clear state law to help enhance the public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections.
See the 2023 priorities here