How Pennsylvania Lawmakers Tried to Help and Hinder Voting in the Past Session

State lawmakers proposed dozens of bills throughout the 2021-2022 legislative session aimed at changing the way Pennsylvanians vote, from stringent voter ID requirements to measures focused on bolstering turnout.

There is nothing more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. In Pennsylvania, that right has been under attack by a Republican-controlled state legislature working overtime to make voting as difficult as possible.

Although the closely watched 2020 election was carried out smoothly, many Republicans have called for sweeping election law changes after the baseless “big lie” about widespread voter fraud was peddled by Donald Trump. 

Republicans have controlled the legislature for the past session, leading to widespread gridlock and a failure to pass any substantive bills. If the Democrats can secure control over the House, they’ll be able to pass laws expanding voter rights; but three of their seats have been vacated, leaving who controls the majority in question. 

Here is every voting rights bill proposed during the 2021-2022 session: 

House Bills

HB 18

House Bill 18 was introduced by Rep. Micheal Puskaric (R-Allegheny) in January 2021. This bill would make Election Day a federal holiday. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 25

House Bill 25 was introduced by Rep. Michael Puskaric (R-Allegheny) in January 2021. This bill would repeal mail-in voting.It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 30

House Bill 30 was introduced by Rep. Gary Day (R-Berks) in June 2021. This bill would require that any request for a mail-in ballot be a sworn affidavit. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 195

House Bill 195 was introduced by Rep. Jim Gregory (R-Blair) in April 2021. This bill would repeal no-excuse absentee mail-in voting. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 205

House Bill 205 was introduced by Rep. Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny) in January 2021. This bill would automatically register qualified voters who use services through PennDOT, the Department of Human Services, or the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs unless they choose to opt-out. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 215

House Bill 215 was introduced by Rep. Tony Deluca (D-Allegheny) in January 2021. This bill would allow for same day voter registration on Election Day.  the State Government Committee. 

HB 316

House Bill 316 was introduced by Deluca in January 2021. This  bill would allow for early voting at county election offices. . It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 366

House Bill 366 was introduced by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) in February 2021. This bill would establish early voting and allow for two weeks of ballot pre-canvassing—the inspection and opening of all envelopes containing official absentee ballots or mail-in ballots. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 470

House Bill 470 was introduced by Rep. Michael Carroll (D-Lackawanna) in February 2021. This bill would set the mail-in ballot registration deadline to 30 days before Election Day and require counties to install one ballot drop box per 30,000 residents. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 623

House Bill 623 was introduced by Rep. Brandon Markosek (D-Allegheny) in February 2021. This bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 808

House Bill 808 was introduced by Rep. Tina Davis (D-Bucks) in March 2021. This bill would allow absentee ballots to be received and counted up to six days after the election so long as they are postmarked by Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 853

House Bill 853 was introduced by Rep. Jeff Wheeland (R-Lycoming) in March 2021. Thise bill would require a voter to show their identification every time they votes. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 892

House Bill 892 was introduced by Rep. Mary Louise Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) in March 2021. This bill would authorize two hours of time off from work on Election Day for an employee to vote. It is sitting in the Labor and Industry Committee.

HB 893

House Bill 893 was introduced by Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery) in March 2021. This bill would allow an election official to take a paper ballot—or portable voting machine—to a disabled voter outside of a physical polling place. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 895 

House Bill 895 was introduced by Gainey in March 2021. This bill would automatically sign every registered voter up for mail-in voting and give them the option to vote by either mail or their polling place. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 982

House Bill 982 was introduced by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Luzerne) in March 2021. This bill would allow counties a period of time to pre-process—when election workers run the ballots through the counting machine—mail-in ballots based on the size of their county. Specifically, there would be three categories of pre-processing:

• 14 days prior to Election Day for 1st and 2/2a class counties/cities
• 7 days prior to Election Day for 3rd class counties
• 3 days prior to Election Day for counties classes 4 through 8

It is sitting  in the State Government Committee.

HB 1053

House Bill 1053 was introduced by Rep. Ryan Bizarro (D-Erie) in March 2021. This bill would provide for same day registering and voting. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1195

House Bill 1195 was introduced by Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery) in April 2021. This bill would make registering to vote accessible, easy, and paperwork-free. Although registering to vote online can be done now in the commonwealth, this bill would enshrine this policy in state  law so a future governor couldn’t take it away. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1266

House Bill 1266 was introduced by Delucain April 2021. This bill would make it so that in order for ballots sent by mail to be counted, they must be postmarked on or before Election Day and must be received by the third day after Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1334

House Bill 1334 was introduced by Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) in May 2021. This bill would require that voters prove their citizenship before voting. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1337 

House Bill 1337 was introduced by Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) in May 2021. This bill aims to create a database of formerly incarcerated individuals who are eligible to vote and inform them of their rights if they didn’t know. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1376

House Bill 1376 was introduced by Rep. Chris Quinn (R-Delaware) in May 2021. This bill would allow curbside voting for voters with disabilities. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1498

House Bill 1498 was introduced by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) in June 2021. This bill would require that only the voter themself can return a mail-in ballot either through the mail or in person at the county elections office. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1502

House Bill 1502 was introduced by Moul in June 2021. This bill clarifies that, notwithstanding any emergency order, public health crisis, or other unexpected event, all mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1703

House Bill 1703 was introduced by Rep. Margo Davidson (D-Delaware) in June 2021. This bill would make it easier to vote by mail or proxy and stop the process of removing permanent mail-in voters from the list. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1704

House Bill 1704 was introduced by Davidsonin June 2021. This bill would allow pre-canvassing of ballots two weeks before Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1706

House Bill 1706 was introduced by Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) in June 2021. This bill would change the deadline for the receipt of absentee and mail-in ballot applications from 5 p.m. the Tuesday before an election to 5 p.m. 15 days before an election. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 1772

House Bill 1772 was introduced by Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) in August 2021. This bill proposes implementing ranked choice voting (also known as instant run-offs), which enables voters to rank candidates by order of preference rather than simply choosing one candidate. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 1800

House Bill 1800 was introduced by Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) in September 2021. This bill would enact restrictive in-person voter ID requirements, limit options for returning mail-in ballots, mandate signature matching for absentee and mail-in ballots, and much more. The bill is sitting on the House floor.

HB 2090

House Bill 2090 was introduced by Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) in November 2021. This bill would:

• Upgrade the voting system from paper to electronic
• Allow voter pre-registration at the age of 16
• Allow in-person voting starting 17 days before election
• Allow pre-canvassing of ballots 21 days before election
• Require more ballot boxes in more populated areas
• Allow voters to drop off mail-in ballots for others in their household

It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2114 

House Bill 2114 was introduced by Rabb (D-Philadelphia) in November 2021. This bill would replace  the Columbus Day holiday with a holiday on Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 2217

House Bill 2217 was introduced by Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware) in January. This bill proposes starting early voting 30 days before an election and ending it on the day before Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2248

House Bill 2248 was introduced by Rep. Regina Young (D-Philadelphia) in January. This bill would require county boards of elections to notify voters if their ballot signature does not match their signature on file and allow them to provide proof of their identity to affirm their vote. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2249

House Bill 2249 was introduced by Young in January. This bill would require the opening and inspection of absentee and mail-in ballots at least once at any point up to seven days prior to Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2250

House Bill 2250 was introduced by Young in January. This bill would permit the pre-canvassing of absentee and mail-in ballots up to 21 days before Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2433

House Bill 2433 was introduced by Rep. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland) in March. This bill would require all counties to begin canvassing mail-in and absentee ballots as soon as the polls close on Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

HB 2540

House Bill 2540 was introduced by Rep. John Hershey (R-Centre) in April. This bill would repeal  mail-in voting and mandating voter ID. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.  

HB 2598

House Bill 2598 was introduced by Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia) in May 2021. This bill would allow incarcerated but legal voters to use their correctional facility as a polling place. It is sitting  in the State Government Committee. 

HB 2602

House Bill 2602, also known as the Decriminalizing Spouses Act, was introduced by Rep. Michael Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) in May. This bill would allow a spouse or blood relative to return the ballot of a family member. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

HB 2625

House bill 2625 was introduced by Conklin in May adjust the deadline for applying as an absentee voter. It is sitting in the Committee of State Government.  

HB 2719

House Bill 2719 was introduced by Rabb in June. This bill would allow incarcerated individuals to vote via absentee ballot and require the state to provide the training and education to ensure the incarcerated voters get as fair an opportunity as possible. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

Senate Bills

SB 30

Senate Bill 30 was introduced by Sen. Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) in January 2021. This bill would lower the voting age to 16. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 59

Senate Bill 59 was introduced by Williams in January 2021. This bill would give municipalities the option to run their elections via a ranked-choice system. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 93

Senate Bill 93 was introduced by Sen. Bob Mensch in February 2021. This bill would allow voters the ability to electronically cancel their permanent absentee ballot. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 128

Senate Bill 128 was introduced by Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) in January 2021. This bill would change the state’s voting system so that all elections are conducted entirely by mail. It would also allow the pre-canvassing of ballots up to seven days before Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 141

Senate Bill 141 was introduced by Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery) in January 2021. This bill would automatically register every eligible voter to vote, with an opt-out option. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 198

Senate Bill 198 was introduced by Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) in February 2021. This bill would allow for voters to register and vote on the same day of any election. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 309

Senate Bill 309 was introduced by Boscola in March 2021. This bill would allow employees a guaranteed two hours of time off to vote on election days, provided they give earlier notice. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 322

Senate Bill 322 was introduced by Sen. Judy Ward (R-Blair) in March 2021. This bill would allow more people to observe the pre-canvassing and canvassing of ballots, would only allow ballots received by 8 p.m. Election Day to be canvassed, and would establish procedures for when signatures on absentee or mail-in ballots don’t match. It is sitting in the Senate.

SB 336

Senate Bill 336 was introduced by Boscola (D-Lehigh) in March 2021. This bill would set up a notification system to inform eligible teens who would be able to vote in the next election of their status and provide registration materials. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 346

Senate Bill 346 was introduced by Boscola in March 2021. This bill would allow Independents to vote in the primary election. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 402

Senate Bill 402 was introduced by Sen. Patrick Stefano (R-Fayette) in March 2021. This bill would repeal no-excuse mail-in ballot voting. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 422

Senate Bill 422 was introduced by Ward in March 2021. This bill would implement a voter ID requirement for every election and offers both photo and non-photo options of acceptable forms of ID. If a voter is unable to present a valid photo ID, they will be required to present two forms of non-photo ID. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 510

Senate Bill 510 was introduced by Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery) in April 2021. This bill would allow teens who are otherwise qualified and who are at least 16 years of age to preregister to vote. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 599

Senate Bill 599 was introduced by Sen. Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) in April 2021. This bill would allow county boards of election to pre-canvass mail-in ballots beginning 21 days prior to Election Day. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.

SB 735

Senate Bill 735 was introduced by Ward n June 2021. This bill would require photo identification to vote in elections. Currently, it is sitting in the House State Government Committee. 

SB 820

Senate Bill 820 was introduced by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) in August 2021. This bill would designation Election Day as a state holiday. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 863

Senate Bill 863 was introduced by Sen. John Kane (D-Chester) in September 2021. This bill would make Election Day a state holiday. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 878

Senate Bill 878 was introduced by Sen. Dave Argall (R-Carbon) in September 2021. This bill would track mail-in ballots through a barcode system, eliminate the permanent mail-in list, and change the deadline request for a mail-in ballot. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 884 

Senate Bill 884 was introduced by Mastriano in September 2021. This bill would repeal mail-in voting. It is sitting in the State Government Committee. 

SB 914

Senate Bill 914 was introduced by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) in October 2021. This bill would suspend the use of mail-in ballots until the spring of 2023. It is sitting in the State Government Committee.