Boyle, Kenyatta to introduce legislation to ensure democracy isn't compromised in the November election
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta September 28, 2020 | 10:11 AM
Just weeks before the general election, state Reps. Kevin Boyle and Malcolm Kenyatta are introducing legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania's election laws and help ensure democracy isn't compromised in November.
"It's no secret that this president will go to great lengths to ensure victory, no matter what the American people want," said House State Government Committee Democratic Chairman Boyle, D-Phila./Montgomery. "With Pennsylvania being a key battleground state, we have a responsibility in the state legislature to close unnecessary loopholes and make sure everyone's vote counts."
Boyle said today their proposal would crackdown on so-called faithless electors by amending Pennsylvania's Election Code to require presidential electors to vote for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who received the highest number of votes in the commonwealth during the general election.
Under this plan, which is similar to Colorado and Oklahoma's law, faithless electors who vote against the candidates they vowed to support, would:
- Face a misdemeanor punishable by fine.
- Have their vote invalidated.
- Be replaced.
“Faithless electors disregard the will of the people and ultimately tarnish the integrity of our democracy,” Kenyatta said. “They will be a tactic the president could use to swindle a second term, but our legislation stands to safeguard the sanctity of our elections by holding these actors accountable.”
Their legislation comes as reports circulate about the president looking to bypass popular votes and move to appoint local electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority, which includes Pennsylvania.