Pennsylvania election reform bill headed to governor’s desk; veto likely

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf will soon get a chance to veto a Republican-backed election reform bill heading to his desk.

The Senate approved House Bill 1300 on a vote of 29-21 on Friday afternoon after GOP members argued the measures it contains improve election security and restore trust lost amongst voters after the November general election.

But for Wolf and Democrats in the General Assembly, HB 1300’s new mandate to require photo identification each time a person casts a ballot serves only to disenfranchise voters. They also dislike provisions that limit ballot drop boxes based on population, require signature verification on mail-in ballots and cut off voter registration 30 days before an election.

Appropriations Committee Minority Chairman Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, also cast doubt on Republicans’ insistence that the measure “restores trust” in the same process that led to many of their re-elections.

“It [voting] worked well for all of you,” he said. “But it’s apparently not working well for the race at the top of the ticket, the president of the United States.”

State Government Committee Chairman Dave Argall, R-Pottsville, said the bill adopts best practices from a number of states – many controlled by Democrats – that require signature verification for mail-in ballots and voter identification.

“It’s not all about Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “Look at New Jersey, not a Republican state, requires a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a social security number for online voter registration. That’s not voter suppression. That’s common sense.”

Bill sponsor Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, said he crafted many of the provisions with county election officials in mind after workers were inundated with applications and given too little time to process them all.

“There is a change in the ideology of voters,” he said on the House floor last week. “Overwhelmingly polling has consistently come back that supports election security as well as increased access, that is a fact. … This bill weaves all of that together.”

Wolf said he will veto the bill in its current form, as well as any policy that erects more barriers to voting.

In spite of the looming veto, voters may soon get a chance to weigh in on the identification question themselves. The Senate approved a constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would, if approved by the General Assembly in two consecutive sessions, allow residents to decide if an I.D. should be required each time a voter casts a ballot.

Governors can’t veto proposed constitutional amendments. That’s why, Grove said in a news release Friday, HB 1300 represents the “best deal” he’s going to get for the remainder of his term.

“We will take election reform directly to the people and bypass the executive branch,” he said. “Considering the strong support of voter identification, it is highly likely it would be approved by voters.”

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