What exactly do you mean by early voting?
Early voting allows voters to cast in person ballots prior to Election Day. Another voting reform you might hear people mention is no-excuse absentee voting, which allows voters to cast absentee ballots without providing a legitimate excuse why they can’t make it to the polls.
Is early voting or no-excuse absentee voting allowed in Pennsylvania?
Most Pennsylvania voters can only cast a ballot at their assigned polling places from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of an election. And although absentee ballots are available, voters must provide a legitimate excuse to receive one.
But folks in other states can vote early?
Thirty-two states (some that lean Democratic and others that go Republican) and the District of Columbia allow for voters to vote in person during a designated time before Election Day. Twenty-seven states (including New Jersey) and the District of Columbia permit voters to complete an absentee ballot without providing an excuse. Washington state and Oregon conduct elections exclusively by mail.
So who sets the rules?
Each state has the power to enact its own election laws and regulations, which accounts for why elections vary from state-to-state. But Congress can try to impose national standards. Rep. George Miller (D- California) recently introduced a bill that would require at least 15 days of early voting, but the bill has not made it past Committee.
Is the absence of early voting the only election day problem we should worry about?
There are plenty of other things that need repair. Voter registration, the number and location of polling places, election worker training, voting machine and ballot problems and translation services are all issues that need to be examined. And there is plenty of debate about what kind of voting reforms will be most effective.
Let me guess, is this debate along partisan lines?
Hey, it’s politics. Democrats and Republicans angle for what they see as their own best interests. Traditionally, absentee ballot voters have tilted Republican, while early voting is typically viewed to benefit Democrats.
Won't politics doom the commission Obama just announced?
Time will tell. Hoping to get bi-partisan support, Obama appointed the top lawyers from both his re-election campaign and the campaign of his rival, Mitt Romney, to lead the commission.
Is there any move towards early voting in Pennsylvania?
There have been early voting proposals in the past before the Pennsylvania General Assembly. None have gotten any traction. There are currently several proposed bills. Two are in the state House, one calling for 8 days of early voting and a second for 15 days. A state Senate proposal calls for a committee to study early voting and same day voter registration (which Pennsylvania also lacks) and to produce a report by November 2013.
How does Pennsylvania's election performance compare to other states?
A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trust evaluating election administration across the U.S. gave Pennsylvania a 71 percent rating. That puts us in the upper quarter of the states and the District of Columbia. Check out the report here.
How can I follow this debate?
As the president’s commission starts working and the Pennsylvania General Assembly considers proposals, the Committee of Seventy will keep you posted on what changes could affect how you cast your ballot on Election Day.
If you want to share your thoughts on early voting with us, please e-mail futureofthecity@seventy.org.
02/12/2013