Posted: | January 14, 2019 03:02 PM |
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From: | Representative Liz Hanbidge |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Making voting accessible to all - Curbside Voting |
The right to vote is at the core of our democracy. Yet, simply traveling to and entering polling places to exercise this right can prove to be much more challenging for some voters than others. Participation in our government should be a privilege available to all. No potential voter should be deterred from voting by the walk from their transportation to the voting booth. Just as voting is central to our democratic process, accessibility should become central to the voting process. It is critical that we enhance accessibility at the voting booth and work to eliminate as many obstacles as possible by minimizing the physical challenges voters face on their way to the ballot box. This bill would allow an election official to bring a paper ballot – or portable voting machine when available – to any voter outside the physical polling place who has a physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental disability or short-term inability that would preclude them from easily accessing voting machines. Voting is a right and a privilege, and we should treat it as such. It is essential that we make participation in our government as accessible as possible to as many Pennsylvanians as possible. |
Introduced as HB1328