Making PA a leader in voting accessibility and security
On May 20, Philadelphians will vote for judges, district attorney and city controller.
Rep. Joanna E. McClinton March 13, 2025 | 1:01 PM
It may feel like last year’s election just ended but believe it or not Pennsylvania’s municipal primary election is right around the corner. On May 20, Philadelphians will vote for judges, district attorney and city controller.
Protecting your voting rights has never been more important. And I’ve championed measures to improve accessibility to the ballot since I began serving in the state legislature in 2015.
First, I want to assure you that Pennsylvania’s elections are free and fair, and safe and secure. And it is important that you vote in every election because your voice matters!
The commonwealth’s turnout for the 2024 general election was 77% among registered voters, which was the highest turnout since 1988 – but that means we’re still missing the voices of almost a quarter of Pennsylvania’s registered voters.
I recently participated in an event at Dickinson College in Carlisle about safeguarding and improving Pennsylvania’s elections. It featured panels and speakers including PA Secretary of State (and former Philadelphia City Commissioner) Al Schmidt, former Governor Tom Corbett, and county commissioners and judges from around the state.
During my portion, I spoke one-on-one with the event host, former US district court judge and current Dickinson College president John Jones. During the discussion, I outlined some of the improvements made to Pennsylvania’s election law over the past decade, like allowing mail-in voting and creating a grant program to help counties administer elections. Both policies were bipartisan and are helping our elections run smoothly.
However, there are several additional commonsense reforms that would keep our elections secure while making it easier for people to vote.
In past legislative sessions I’ve introduced bills that would permit early in-person voting which would help relieve congestion at the polls on election day and provide more time for seniors and people with limited mobility to vote. Plus, it would provide options for Pennsylvanians with demanding work schedules or dynamic family responsibilities to vote securely at a time convenient for them.
I’ve also advocated for same day voter registration that would make it possible for eligible Pennsylvanians to securely register when it’s most relevant and top of mind - on Election Day.
Dozens of states have already implemented these policies. And my proposal garnered support from 70 lawmakers who co-sponsored the bill, and from Governor Shapiro.
I plan to introduce similar legislation this session.
There are other policies that are used in some Pennsylvania counties but could benefit all voters and election officials if they were adopted more broadly. For instance, electronic poll books – or e-poll books – are used in 25 of our 67 counties E-poll books can streamline the voter check-in process saving time and alert a poll worker if a voter has already voted.
Providing prepaid ballot return postage and more drop boxes would help more voters securely return their mail-in or absentee ballot on-time. Several other states including West Virginia and Delaware offer prepaid ballot return postage, and some Pennsylvania counties have secure ballot drop boxes, but many counties do not.
Standardizing measures like e-poll books and ballot drop boxes would help ensure that a voter’s access to the ballot is the same whether they live in a rural, urban or suburban community.
With tighter margins than ever, we know that every vote counts. Commonsense reforms can build on the strong foundation we’ve built for voting accessibility over the past decade, while dismantling barriers that suppress voter turnout. As the birthplace of American democracy, Pennsylvania should be a leader in voter accessibility and security.