From the moment the presidential election resolved in 2020, it is obvious that Pennsylvania will once again be the “state of the battlefield” in 2024.
Along with the adoption of Act 77 in 2019, the uninhabited email to vote finally came to the community of nations and is not there soon, because the Covid-19 crisis seriously constrained those who wanted to personally go to their polls.
Even when wearing Pennsylvan masks, they still appeared in the polls and many decided on the version of the “early voting” – going to the office of elections of the Fountains, asking and completing the application for post voting and filling out the voting card on the spot.
The non -party, multi -layered organization “All Voting is local”, published a report on Wednesday, analyzing the data that showed how the addition of an early voting option was influenced by early election attendance in 2024.
“The effects of early personal voting in Michigan vs. Pennsylvania”, it was shown how the addition of the personal option of early voting in Michigan influenced early election attendance compared to the state of Keystone, a similar demographically state in which such an option does not exist.
In 2022, Michigan voters adopted a proposal 2, A pro-voice initiative that changed the state law and initiated a series of voters’ rights, including early voting places, post voting cards and voter identifier. During the presidential election in 2024, Michigan established the places of early voting throughout the state to enable voters nine (9) days to vote in person before the election day.
On the other hand, Pennsylvania did not introduce significant changes in its voting procedures, spending time having to vote for postal voting.
Michigan cast 5.66 million votes in the presidential election in 2024-60 percent (58.6%), which took place in this nine-day early vote.
Pennsylvania continued to deal with long lines during the period of “early voting”, in which 1.88 million of 7.03 million votes or almost 27%. Because three -quarters of the votes remained on the day of elections, it should not be surprising that the state voters felt the influence of long lines due to volume and expected problems with machines and voting cards during the day.
Philadelphia recorded over half a million votes or 70 percent (71.9%) of their votes cast on the day of election, compared to 202 713 (28.1%) during “early voting”.
Compare these numbers with Detroit in Wayne, Michigan. Motor City voters gave almost 500,000 voting cards in early voting (57.6%) to just over 367,000 on the day of elections.
There is no astute eye to see that the convenience of early voting personally had a significant impact on the percentage of voters who give voting cards in two areas of the subway.
“Voters in Pennsylvania want more options when it comes to early voting so that they can safely vote cards, avoiding long lines,” said all voting is the local director of Pennsylvania Deborah Hinchey. “Some voters from Pennsylvania, especially those from marginalized environments, had fewer opportunities to vote before the day of election without the options for early personal voting. And some voters could not cast votes at all, because there are no available voting methods that worked for them. As we saw in nearby Michigan, there are simple solutions to ensure that they could vote early. voters in the community, especially those who are historically deprived of civil rights. “
According to the analysis, not only the metro areas told this story. All voting is also local also compared two municipalities “Big 10” Stanów – Ann Arbor and State College.
Over two -thirds (67.4%) of voters Ann Arbor threw their cards early, compared to over 1 in 4 (27.3%) in the hometown of Penn State. Of course, it can be assumed that the November 5 lines were shorter for Wolverines and that more headache stood in the face of a Nittana lion on a decision day.
In 2024, Michigan had the third highest election attendance in this country at 74.7 percent, while Pennsylvania had five places for 71.2%.
Attendance indicator on voting in voting
- Wisconsin, 76.64%
- Minnesota, 76.35%
- Michigan, 74.64%
- Maine, 74.24%
- New Hampshire, 74.14%
- Colorado, 73.12%
- Oregon, 71.94%
- Pennsylvania, 71.43%
- Virginia, 71.01%
- Vermont, 70.89%
Source: University of Florida Electoral Laboratory
Will Pennsylvania change the change in the “early voting” procedure? It will be if one democratic representative has its own way.
Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware) He introduced Bill House 669 This requires early voting to start 30 days before the election and finish the day before the election day. Early voting took place in the Electoral Council of the County and designated electoral places elected by the Management Board of the Fountains.
“Over the past few years, our state has learned about several things about its elections, including significant delays and confusion in election locations, when poviats are unprepared for large attendance,” wrote O’Mara in the co -consisting note. “The high election attendance is a great thing, but she revealed that compared to many other countries of Pennsylvania, it remains behind in terms of contemporary electoral reform.”
HB 669 calls at least one eternal electoral place in each of the three largest municipalities in a population of over 250,000, with the proviso to add an additional eternal place if one of these municipalities has over 80,000 population.
Hours for early voting in accordance with the Act would be from 8: 30-4: 30 or 9-5 on weekdays, 9-winnings on Saturdays and holidays and 10-4 on Sundays. However, eight days before the election day, a eternal election must remain open from 8: 30-7 or 9-7.
The bill is currently together with Government committeechairman Rep. Carol Hill-Evans (D-York) Z Libertine. Treacherous (R-Crawford/Erie) as a republican member.
“Early voting authorizes people to perform civic duties in a way that works best for them,” said O’Mara Politicpa. “Regardless of whether you are a healthcare employee or the first respondent planned to work on the day of election, or you will simply be outside the city away from the electoral place – nothing should interfere between you and the urch to vote. Your right to vote should never depend on your schedule.”
