Did the pennsylvania legislature approve mail in ballots
Yes, the Pennsylvania legislature did approve mail-in ballots, but with some limitations and controversy.
In 2019, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 77, which allowed no-excuse absentee voting, including mail-in ballots, for the 2020 general election. The law was signed by Governor Tom Wolf on October 31, 2019.
Under Act 77, eligible voters could request a mail-in ballot by submitting an application to their county election office. The application had to be received by the county election office by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election.
However, the law also included some restrictions and requirements, such as:
- Voters had to request a mail-in ballot by mail, email, or online portal, and the request had to be received by the county election office by the deadline.
- Voters had to sign and date the application, and provide their name, address, and date of birth.
- The county election office was required to verify the voter's identity and ensure that the voter was eligible to vote in the election.
- Mail-in ballots had to be received by the county election office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Despite the passage of Act 77, there were still some controversies and disputes surrounding mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. For example, there were concerns about the security and integrity of the mail-in voting process, as well as allegations of voter fraud and irregularities.
In the 2020 general election, Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in mail-in voting, with over 3.2 million ballots cast by mail. However, the election was also marked by controversy and disputes, including lawsuits and allegations of voter fraud.
In the aftermath of the election, there were calls for further reforms to the mail-in voting process in Pennsylvania, including measures to improve the security and integrity of the process, as well as to increase access to mail-in voting for eligible voters.