Election Protection

Members of the nonpartisan Keystone Votes coalition today urged the governor to veto House Bill 1300, a sweeping but controversial set of GOP-backed legislative election reforms.

The state Senate has just passed HB 1300, a package of voting law changes that includes provisions to make voting more difficult, particularly for Black, Brown and low income voters. We thank Governor Wolf for his promise to quickly veto it

The bill will cost almost $92 million, which “could be spent improving the lives of Pennsylvanians – rather than funding legislation that will make it harder for us to vote.”

In a separate statement, Common Cause PA executive director Khalif Ali said a fiscal statement revealed a one-time implementation cost for the bill’s requirements at $99 million with annual costs approaching $19 million. “That’s an awful lot of taxpayer money for the Legislature to spend, to implement a bill that will make it harder for us to cast ballots and have our voices heard,” Ali said.

Common Cause Pennsylvania adamantly opposes both proposals. HB 1300 in its current form will place multiple restrictions on the voting process that millions of Pennsylvanians have come to depend on. SB 735 is expected to lower turnout among Black, young and new voters.

Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano visited the Arizona State Fairgrounds yesterday, where charlatan consultants have been conducting a sham review of the November 2020 general election. Voting machines and ballots have been irrevocably destroyed in the process. He is  proposing to replicate the process in Pennsylvania.