Voting
Biden-Harris campaign launches new ad geared toward Black voters
President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is launching a new ad focused on Black voters, touting how the Biden-Harris administration has “made equity a cornerstone of their administration’s policy agenda, and are lowering costs and creating economic opportunity for Black America,” according to a press release from the campaign. Titled “Get Ahead,” the spot will air […]
Understanding ID requirements for voters | 2023 Election Mailbag
Welcome to the Capital-Star’s election mailbag: a weekly round-up of voting questions, crowdsourced from you — our readers. Here’s this week’s question and answer: You asked: When is Pa. going to require Photo ID? A: While there have been legislative attempts to require voters to provide identification, Pennsylvania does not generally require a photo ID […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s request to stay redistricting decision
The United States Supreme Court Tuesday denied Alabama’s request to stay a lower court decision directing a special master to draw new state congressional maps to remedy Voting Rights Act violations. The nation’s high court dismissed the request in two one-sentence orders Tuesday morning. No opinions were given with the decision, which could open the […]
Delaware County must accept in-person votes from residents whose mail ballots were rejected
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. A judge has told Delaware County to count ballots cast in person by voters whose mail ballots were rejected during the primary, a ruling the county, even though it lost the case, says it welcomes. Following the May […]
David McCormick launches campaign for Senate
He made the announcement at an event in Pittsburgh on Thursday, throwing his hat into the ring for a second bid at the Senate.
Pennsylvania adds automatic voter registration
Pennsylvania will now automatically register eligible residents to vote when they renew their driver’s licenses or ID cards at PennDOT driver and photo license centers, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday. “When running for governor, I made a commitment to bring automatic voter registration to Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in a statement, noting it was National Voter […]
It’s time for Pennsylvania to open its primary elections to all voters
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org Pennsylvania’s closed primaries keep most voters out of a key part of the decision-making process, namely which candidates […]
Trump can run in NH primary despite Jan. 6 involvement, AG and secretary of state say
Former President Donald Trump is clear to run as a candidate in New Hampshire’s presidential primary next year despite his involvement in the events leading to the Jan. 6 insurrection, the state attorney general and secretary of state asserted Wednesday. “There is no mention in New Hampshire state statute that a candidate in a national […]
Retired Marine latest challenger to Perry in PA-10
Recently retired Marine Mike O’Brien said Wednesday he’s tired of Republicans co-opting the concept of “freedom,” and will seek the Democratic nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District. In an interview with the Capital-Star, O’Brien said he was motivated to run for office by the Jan. 6 insurrection, and Perry’s alleged role […]
Everything you need to know to vote in the Nov. 7 general election
The November general election is 10 weeks away. To help voters prepare to cast their ballots, the Capital-Star has compiled this guide of deadlines and helpful resources. How do I register to vote? New voters can register one of four ways — online, by mail, at a PennDOT driver’s license center, or at your county […]
Lawmakers take step to give Pa. voters a bigger voice in presidential primaries
A state Senate committee took the first step on Wednesday toward making Pennsylvania’s presidential primary election earlier in the year, a move that could give voters in this battleground state a bigger voice in choosing the nation’s chief executive. With the 2024 presidential election fast approaching, lawmakers in the state House have also said they […]
Pa. will track voting machine malfunctions under new settlement with election security groups
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Thanks to a new settlement between Pennsylvania and a coalition of election security groups, the commonwealth’s Department of State will soon require counties to publicly report voting machine malfunctions — a measure that election experts say could […]