Penn. voters given more time for mail-in ballots. Here’s what Centre County officials say
As county elections staff prepare for what’s expected to be a November election with record voter turnout, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has sided with Gov. Tom Wolf in a series of rulings that extended the deadline to return mail-in ballots.
In addition, the court’s ruling Thursday permitted more ballot drop boxes and removed the Green Party candidate from the presidential ballot.
Mail-in ballots previously were due by the time polls close on Election Day. But now, voters have until 5 p.m. Nov. 6 — three days after the general election — to return their ballots to their local elections office and still have them counted in the final results. The ruling was a victory for the state Democratic Party, which had sought the extension.
“This is a victory that will help ensure that every eligible voter will more easily be able to cast their ballot and have it counted fairly,” Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement, adding that the ruling will provide election staff and voters with “convenient secure options. “ Last fall, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a package of bipartisan election reforms. Chief among those reforms was the ability for every voter to cast a ballot by mail, for any reason or no reason at all.
Wolf and Shapiro, both Democrats, called Thursday’s ruling “historic legislation” that will allow counties to implement processes that support voting reforms.
But some Centre County representatives say the ruling will lead to an unfair and insecure democratic process.
“Today’s decision makes Pennsylvania’s elections less secure and opens the door to serious questions about the integrity of the process in one of the most significant national and state elections in recent memory,” House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, and Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, wrote in a joint statement. “Even more concerning is that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has once again normalized the Wolf administration’s disrespect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the voice of the people.”
Benninghoff and Cutler said they are examining legal and legislative options to ensure the election is conducted in a “safe and secure manner with results beyond reproach.”
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, said the decision “jeopardizes election security and timely results.”
“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has chosen National Constitution Day to trample on the fundamental principles on which our nation was founded,” they said. “This ruling is not about ensuring fair elections — it is about allowing one party to steal this election.”
The legislators said it is their goal to work in a bipartisan manner to “fulfill our constitutional obligation” to see that everyone has the opportunity to vote and confidence in the electoral process.
“We believe the court has erred in its ruling and is jeopardizing the accountability and security of our election process in Pennsylvania,” Corman and Scarnati said. “We will continue to review the decision, exploring our options to ensure trust in the election process and defend the Constitution against this activist court.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Fred Keller released a statement, saying the court’s decision “has nothing to do with expanding access to voting.”
“Instead, it is a partisan attempt to undermine our election process — casting doubt on the integrity and security of our voting system and emboldening the Wolf Administration’s continued disregard for the Constitution.”
The Centre County Board of Elections unveiled a plan Thursday that aims to make voting more accessible, decrease the wait for in-person voting, provide voters with a safe option during the pandemic and ease worries over potential delays with the United States Postal Service.
Initiatives in the proposal include installing eight secure ballot return sites, creating a satellite elections office at the Bryce Jordan Center and offering free rides to senior citizens who would like to return their ballots to a certified drop box.
The plan was approved in a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner Steve Dershem, the lone Republican, opposed due to concerns about security and legal feasibility, although he noted that Centre County has seen few cases of voter fraud.
“In a democracy, you want everyone to have the ability to vote in the easiest and legal way possible,” Commissioner Mark Higgins said Thursday. “I’m for democracy; I would like our citizens to be able to vote by whatever methods are legal in the state of Pennsylvania.”
Commissioner Michael Pipe , who voted in favor of increasing the number of ballot boxes, joined Wolf at a press conference in August to discuss the need for more election reforms. Pipe said voting is “a sacred act” that is one of the “most vital acts of citizenship.”
“It is an act of trust, equality, independence and conscience. Your vote counts. Moreover, your vote counts no more or less than your neighbors. You vote is ultimately your own. And your vote is the sum of all of your experiences, perspectives, research and opinions,” Pipe said.
“Whether it is your first or 50th time casting a ballot, each time you are writing another line in the American story. Our ballot boxes contain our future direction as a community, commonwealth and country. When more voters cast their ballots and make their voices heard the choir of our American democracy swells with a sweeter song of freedom, liberty and justice.”
To vote in the November general election, residents must be registered to vote. Applications for a mail-in ballot may be submitted by Oct. 27.
For more information, visit votespa.com or call the Centre County Office of Elections and Voter Registration at 355-6703.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
