Philadelphia Inquirer: The political rhetoric over Pa. Republicans’ election bill obscures the truth: It’s complicated

Republicans just passed legislation that would overhaul Pennsylvania’s elections.

The Democratic governor is set to veto it.

And then we’ll move on to the next chapter of the escalating voting wars that have engulfed politics in Harrisburg and across the country, with at least one thing clear: As Democrats and Republicans fight over how ballots are cast and counted, few acknowledge just how complicated running elections is, and how unpredictable the impact of major changes can be.

Republicans in the state Senate gave final approval Friday afternoon to a House-passed bill that would implement stricter voter identification requirements, in-person early voting starting in 2025, signature verification for mail ballots, and other major changes.  …

Even though voter fraud is exceptionally rare, much of the legislation focuses on tightening election security and could raise some barriers to voting — including through its voter ID rules, restrictions on mail ballot return options, and signature verification requirements.

But it’s also not simply a partisan grenade: The ID requirements are weaker than what other states have enacted, it would codify things like mail ballot drop boxes into law, and create more explicit rules for “curing” ballots on which voters made minor mistakes.

Even some opponents credit Republicans for political savvy in crafting a bill that’s less easily dismissed as voter suppression than measures in other states.

“It’s complex, but it’s a smart, strategic bill,” said Khalif Ali, the head of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a good-government advocacy group opposed to the legislation. “It’s definitely the wolf in sheep’s clothing. There are some decent pieces in there that we can’t say honestly … that we would be against.”

Ali spoke approvingly of increased poll worker pay and changes that would allow processing of mail ballots before Election Day — something elections officials have long requested and that could have prevented the days-long wait for results last fall. But he also decried signature verification for mail ballots and other provisions as making it harder for some people to vote.