| Dear Neighbor, I hope you are well! I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on several happenings in the district as well as Harrisburg.
As always, I hope you find this informative and useful.
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| Elections & Voting Legislation
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| On Monday I was happy to reintroduce a multitude of my bills relating to Elections and Voting in the Commonwealth. Some to highlight include the One Voter, One Ballot Application that would prohibit third-party organizations from sending mail-in ballot applications to registered Pennsylvania voters. That way eligible voters aren't confused about which application to fill out.
Two complementary bills include Ensuring Fully Staffed Polling Places and All Hands on Deck. Both of these bills aim to address poll worker shortages that may arise and can be common in some communities. Ensuring Fully Staffed Polling Places would allow your county's Board of Elections to recruit qualified individuals for poll
worker service, similar to a jury-duty model. The second bill would allow the government employees, when needed, to act as poll workers when shortages occur. It is unfortunate that election officials struggle to locate poll workers on Election Day. These bills would help to relieve shortages and ensure our elections continue to run smoothly.
I've also introduced a legislative package to help those recently released from incarceration, both the general populace and those with veteran status, to once again register to vote. Research shows that formerly incarcerated individuals who are encouraged to register and vote show stronger trust in government and the criminal justice system, perceive government as being fairer and more representative, and report an increased willingness to cooperate with law enforcement. These bills would help formerly incarcerated individuals reinvolve themselves in civic responsibility and help ensure all eligible individuals can participate in our democracy.
With session starting up again next week I'm looking forward to the legislative battles and discussions ahead. If you have any questions about the legislation mentioned or other bills in the House, please feel free to reach out to my office at 484-200-8263 or at [email protected]
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