Posted: | December 7, 2018 10:30 AM |
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From: | Senator Patrick J. Stefano |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Electronic Absentee Ballot Return for Military and Overseas Voters |
In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation requiring the Pennsylvania Department of State to develop a secure online system for military and overseas voters to return their absentee ballot electronically. The federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act (MOVE), passed in 2009, requires states to provide blank absentee ballots to military and overseas voters in at least one electronic format. Unfortunately, these voters in Pennsylvania are still required to print out their ballot; fill it out by hand; and return it by mail. My proposed legislation will give them the option of returning their ballots by secure electronic means. Currently, 31 states and the District of Columbia offer electronic ballot return for military and overseas voters. I ask you to please join me in offering this group of voters the ease and accessibility of electronic ballot return by cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. This legislation was formerly Senate Bill 563 of the 2017-18 Legislative Session, The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Browne, Gordner, Mensch, Aument, Bartolotta, Brewster, Farnese, Folmer, Greenleaf, Haywood, Hutchinson, Langerholc, Rafferty, Sabatina, Street, Tartaglione, Vogel, Vulakovich, Ward, and Yudichak, and passed the Senate State Government Committee unanimously. I sincerely hope that you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Jake Gery in my office at jgery@pasen.gov. |
Introduced as SB509