Posted: | October 4, 2023 12:27 PM |
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From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb and Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Improving Youth Voting and Civic Engagement |
Young people are our future leaders, and they will face challenges generations before never dealt with. Their fresh perspectives are needed to solve some of the most pressing problems today. However, young people are voting at lower rates than older adults. This means they have less impact on the issues that affect them and their voices are not being heard. We can improve youth turnout by removing barriers in our voting laws and by making voting more accessible. That is why we are introducing a package of bills to remove obstacles to voting for young people and provide for more robust civic education. With our democratic institutions under intensifying attack, young people have increasingly turned out to protect our democracy. We must work to ensure this trend continues by removing voting barriers and providing a stronger civic education. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation to strengthen our democracy and to ensure that young people can be heard. It is time we pass comprehensive legislation to improve youth voting and civic engagement—our democracy and our future depend on it. |
Introduced as HB1827
Description: | This bill would amend Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to do the following: Allow 16- and 17-year old individuals to preregister to vote; Require the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to notify eligible individuals of their opportunity to preregister to vote when applying for a driver’s license or an identification card; Establish same-day voter registration; Prohibit rejection of a ballot based solely on signature analysis; and Remove the 15-day deadline to register to vote. |
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Introduced as HB1826
Description: | This bill would amend the Public School Code of 1949 to provide for voter registration in high schools and comprehensive civics and voting rights education, including completion of a civics issue-based capstone research project. | |
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Introduced as HB1828
Description: | This bill would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to lower the voting age to 16 years old. | |
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