Get ready to vote before Election Day

Pedro A. Cortez

Not too long ago, political pundits nationwide were predicting Pennsylvania voters would have very little say in selecting our next president. Most believed that party nominations would be decided long before April 22.

The reality is that, months later, Pennsylvania voters find themselves at the forefront of the decision for at least one of the major party nominations. Pennsylvanians have a front-row seat to countless campus rallies, town hall meetings, diner drop-bys and statewide bus tours.

In short, our commonwealth is in a position to have a prominent voice in deciding the future of our nation.

More than 8.32 million Pennsylvanians are registered to vote next Tuesday. Since Jan. 1, almost 210,000 new voters have registered. That’s more than the combined populations of Harrisburg, Altoona and Allentown. This volume of activity is unprecedented and reflects the importance of the upcoming primary in the minds of the voters.

Although the presidential race dominates much of the media coverage, Pennsylvanians will also focus on the important races for state House and Senate, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer and Congress. More than 1,400 candidates filed nomination petitions.

As secretary of the commonwealth, I serve as Pennsylvania’s chief election official, and I administer the Department of State, which is the agency responsible for working cooperatively with all 67 counties to ensure fair, accurate, accessible and secure elections for the voters of Pennsylvania.

I can confidently report that Pennsylvania is well prepared for this noteworthy election. I would like to encourage you, the voter — especially the 210,000 first-time voters — also to take steps to be ready for Election Day. The Department of State can help you prepare.

Ready. Set. Vote. is the department’s interactive voter education initiative. It is designed to help Pennsylvania voters become familiar with voting processes, rights and technology.

At the heart of the effort is our all-new, voter-friendly Web site, Votes PA.com, where you can find everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania.

Information is available to give you an idea about what to expect on Election Day. If you are a first-time voter, or voting in a precinct that’s new to you, learn what identification to take when heading to the polling place.

At VotesPA.com, voters can view an online demonstration of the particular voting system used in their county. There is also information about absentee and provisional ballots and other voting-related topics. You can even sign up to have text messages sent directly to your cell phone reminding you of key dates regarding the election.

All of this has been designed with Pennsylvania voters in mind. The commonwealth is as large as it is diverse, but there is something for everyone on VotesPA.com — from college students and members of the military to people with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians.

If you cannot find answers to your questions on the Web site, you can call us on our toll-free voter hotline, 877-VOTES-PA (877-868-3772). You can also call your county board of elections. In Centre County, that number is 355-6703 (or online at www.co.centre.pa.us).

The administration of Pennsylvania elections has been successful in large part due to the professional and cooperative relationship between the commonwealth’s 67 counties and the Department of State. The department remains in close daily contact with county election officials in anticipation of a potential record number of voters next Tuesday. Our job is to ensure that voters experience a smooth election process when they arrive at their local polling location.

Shortly after Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, the department began to communicate recommendations to the counties for handling large volumes of registration applications as well as high voter turnout. Sufficient staffing throughout the entire process has been key, as well as ordering ample supplies of absentee and provisional ballots.

Historically, issues that have arisen during Election Day have been, primarily, due to human error.

There are approximately 50,000 poll workers at the 9,260 precincts across Pennsylvania who work hard to maintain the integrity of the election process. This year we have created a poll-worker training video to assist counties to minimize errors and ensure that the elections are administered smoothly.

By combining readiness at the state and county levels with a well-informed electorate, Pennsylvania will be ready for a primary election of historic magnitude.

Once again, I encourage you to visit VotesPA.com. We hope you find this information useful as you prepare to add your voice to deciding the future of our commonwealth and our nation.

The Department of State is proud to serve Pennsylvania’s voters in exercising this most fundamental right of citizenship.

Pedro A. Cortés has been the secretary of the commonwealth since April 2003. In July, he will become president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.