The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing counties to process mail-in ballots up to seven days before Election Day. The bill, which was approved on Wednesday (April 30), is aimed at managing the large influx of mail-in ballots during elections and avoiding delayed vote counts.
The bill was passed on party lines, with Democrats supporting it and Republicans opposing it. The latter group warns that the bill could open the door to fraud. The bill now faces opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Under the new legislation, county election workers could start processing ballots a week before Election Day. This provision has been sought by counties for years to give them more time to process mail-in ballots and avoid a drawn-out post-election count.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania supports the bill, stating that having more time to process mail-in ballots before polls close will help manage the workload and ensure quicker results.
However, Senate GOP Majority Leader Joe Pittman insists that Pennsylvania must toughen voter identification requirements as a companion to any legislation on election administration. Democrats have opposed such a change, saying there is scant record of in-person voting fraud and that it will only prevent some registered voters from voting.