A voter drops off their mail-in ballot prior to the primary election, in Willow Grove, Pa., Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Citing increased risk of voter fraud, the state Senate passed a measure Wednesday that would eliminate the use of ballot drop boxes in Pennsylvania elections.
Pennsylvania Republicans are attempting to erect another roadblock to voting under the guise of trying to weed out election fraud.
In a 29-20 party line vote, the state Senate passed a measure Wednesday that would eliminate the use of ballot drop boxes in the commonwealth.
Under Senate Bill 1200, voters would be allowed to return mail-in ballots only through the postal service or in person at their county board of elections, located in the county seat.
Elections officials in several counties introduced secure ballot drop boxes early in 2020, and a state Supreme Court ruling upheld their use. The purpose was to increase early voter accessibility for disabled, elderly, and immunocompromised people. Drop boxes also gave residents in the state’s sprawling rural communities — where mail delivery tends to run slower than in densely populated areas, and county election offices can be harder to reach — another voting option.
From the start, Republicans have labeled the implementation of drop boxes as a constitutional overreach by the high court, and an open invitation for voter fraud like ballot harvesting, where a voter drops off more than their own ballot without authorization.
The bill’s prime sponsor, state Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson), has claimed that drop boxes are a contributing factor in the growing mistrust of the election process, and cites examples of drop box tampering on his website. Dush is heading up the Senate’s end of the “forensic investigation” state Republicans are conducting over the 2020 election.
Multiple Democrats argued during Wednesday’s hearing that drop boxes are secure and equipped with mechanisms to combat voter fraud like security cameras.
On Twitter, state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware) chided her Republican colleagues for their thinly-veiled attempt at voter suppression.
SB 1200 now heads to the state House for a vote.
Author
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Pennsylvanians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The Keystone has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Pennsylvania families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
For Rep. Susan Wild, supporting PA families includes reproductive rights and much more
Rep. Susan Wild wants to be very clear with Pennsylvanians: Donald Trump is committed to taking away women’s reproductive freedom, but he is not...
School districts working with anti-LGBTQ groups can cost your kids’ schools millions
Parents across South Central Pennsylvania are worried about the potential financial impacts working with anti-LGBTQ groups may have on their school...
VIDEO: Trump distances himself from his anti-abortion views
Donald Trump appeared on WGAL on Tuesday and continued to distance himself from his anti-abortion views claiming that reproductive rights are now a...
VIDEO: Community pushback gets school board to rescind decision on denying gay actor’s visit
Cumberland Valley School Board offered a public apology and voted to reinstate Maulik Pancholy as a guest speaker a week after the board voted to...
VIDEO: Project 2025 brings nuclear armageddon back into vogue
Project 2025 is a titanic document, with plans ranging from cutting half of all government employees to targeting reproductive rights on a scale...
