The Republican-penned Measure for Constitution Changes on Elections Passed the PA House State Government Committee on Party Lines, Fifteen to Ten
A few provisions and an update to a previous law were proposed and passed in the PA State House of Representatives. The Republicans in Harrisburg want stronger laws on voter identification for both in-person and mail-in ballots. One provision is to make every ballot have a watermark that can be tracked and confirm the ballot is real and assigned to the correct voter.
Another provision included in this would require election results to be audited by the state’s auditor-general before certification. This means a certification would require more than just a simple ‘okay’ in order to be certified. It must be one hundred percent confirmed.
Finally, another provision is tp make the Secretary of State, the state’s top election official, into an elected position. The provision calls for a four year term instead of a simple gubernatorial appointment.
Unfortunately, to amend the PA state constitution, a proposal must pass both chambers of the state legislature, House and Senate, twice. Each passage must be in consecutive two year sessions and then it will move onto the voters in a statewide referendum.
The earliest this measure can see a referendum is in the Spring of 2023. This measure, as it is a change to the state constitution, cannot be vetoed by the Governor.
Anything that helps to secure our elections is a good thing, especially after seeing all the fraud in the Arizona elections.
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