Sep. 03, 2020
HARRISBURG – Today, the House voted 112 to 90 to advance an election reform bill, sponsored by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams), which would address the timelines and handling of mail-in ballots and help ensure the integrity of Pennsylvania’s elections.
House Bill 2626 amends the Pennsylvania Election Code to specify where and when absentee and mail-in ballots may be applied for and submitted; sets reasonable deadlines for voter registration and changing party affiliation; and contains enhanced penalties for election fraud.
“The last Primary Election was a nightmare for our county election officials who were overwhelmed with mail-in ballots and election laws that failed to anticipate and address their needs,” said Moul. “With the General Election just two months away and the pandemic still here, we can expect the number of absentee and mail-in ballots to be significantly higher. My bill would make the changes necessary for a smoother election with timely results, provide for the secure handling of mail-in ballots and ensure the public a system of one person, one vote.”
In addition to specifying how and when voters may cast their mail-in ballots, Moul’s bill moves the ballot application deadline back an extra week to help avoid late submissions. The bill also enables counties to begin pre-canvassing three days prior to the election to prepare the ballots for tabulation on Election Day.
To address concerns about election fraud, House Bill 2626 requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to develop a tracking system by which each ballot, absentee ballot or mail-in ballot is assigned a scannable identification number unique to each voter to ensure that no more than one vote is cast by each qualified voter.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
To see Moul’s comments during debate on House Bill 2626,
click here.
Representative Dan Moul
91st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
717.260.6452
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepMoul.com