The Bucks County Commissioners are calling on lawmakers to update the state’s voting laws to avoid long lines seen this year for on-demand, mail-in ballots.
At the commissioners’ public meeting on Thursday, the officials acknowledged some issues during the election, including long lines at on-demand voting locations.
The large turnout for on-demand mail-in ballots led to long lines at election offices in Bristol Township, Doylestown Borough, and Richland Township. It led to accusations by conservative commentators and influencers that the county was attempting to stop voters and confusion by some that Pennsylvania had early voting, where residents walk into a polling place to cast their ballots ahead of election day.
Democratic and Republican groups, including President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, used the term early voting leading up to the election.
The long lines led to a Republican lawsuit that extended the deadline for on-demand, mail-in ballots for several days. A county judge said the Bucks County Board of Elections violated state law by cutting the line for on-demand, mail-in ballots as it grew closer to closing time.
The on-demand, mail-in ballot process requires a voter to fill out an application, turn it over to trained county staff, get confirmation from the state that the voter is able to vote, a special ballot has to be printed from a secure state system, and then a voter to can take the mail-in ballot to fill out. The process, according to county officials, takes 10 to 15 minutes per person.
The Bucks County Commissioners – two Democrats and one Republican – are asking state legislators to work on compromises to address ongoing election issues and improve the voting process for future elections.
Bucks County Commissioners Chairperson Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, said the county averaged about 100 on-demand mail-in ballots each election prior to this fall. The rush and limited number of secure portals for on-demand, mail-in ballots slowed things down this year.
“We need to do early voting. It’s that simple,” said Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican.
“This on-demand voting is just awful. Other states have early voting, but we’re stuck with this time-consuming, cumbersome system,” he added.
Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat, noted that implementing early voting centers would require more physical space, but it would avoid long lines for on-demand, mail-in ballots.
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who heads the Bucks County Democratic Committee, said last week that he supports changing the law to allow early voting. He noted a Democratic lawmaker has previously introduced a bill.
The county and state will have to look at the on-demand, mail-in ballot process in the wake of the 2024 election, Pat Poprik, who leads the Bucks County Republican Committee, said last week.
In addition to early voting, the commissioners called on lawmakers to change the law to allow precanvassing of mail-in ballots.
Pennsylvania is one of only seven states that stops election workers from starting the processing of absentee or mail ballots until 7 a.m. on election day.
Under the current law, election staff across the state have to count the ballots at the time time as they are opening of the polls.
Since the state’s new voting laws went into effect, the lack of precanvassing has led to delays in the availability of unofficial results.
Democratic state legislators have proposed precanvassing, but Republicans in the state Senate have shot it down over the lack of voter ID requirements.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has supported changing the state’s election law to allow precanvassing for several years.
Despite the challenges, DiGirolamo stated that the Bucks County election was safe, secure, fair, and free.
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