department-of-state
Senate committee advances proposed constitutional change to reform Pa.’s amendment process
Before being presented to voters, proposed constitutional amendments must pass the Legislature in two consecutive sessions. The costly process can take months, if not years.
Pa. Senate moves to bolster constitutional amendment process with increased training, transparency
The Senate acted on a pair of bills to create additional requirements for the Department of State to publicize and explain ballot questions and establish further training for agency staff.
Months after its launch, risk-limiting election audit pilot comes under review by Senate panel
Acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid outlined the risk-limiting audit, a post-election review piloted during the 2020 general and 2021 primary elections, before a Senate panel on Tuesday.
Pa. child abuse lawsuits held up due ‘systemic failures’ in Dept. of State, report says
In a report released Wednesday, the state Inspector General found no evidence of “intentional malfeasance” in an advertising error that delayed a Pennsylvania constitutional amendment to allow survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue their abusers. Instead the report pointed a finger at an informal and unwritten process for tracking and overseeing constitutional amendments in […]
DOS: More than 741k Pa. voters have asked for mail-in ballots
According to the Department of State, 698,280 registered Pennsylvania voters have applied for a mail-in ballot and 43,602 voters have applied for an absentee ballot for a total of 741,882 ballot applications.
What’s in a name? Seven top state officials lead under ‘acting’ label; await Senate confirmation
In order to remove the “acting” label from their titles, the seven state officials will need to be confirmed by the state Senate by a two-thirds majority.
Waiver allowing Pa. pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines depends on longevity of Wolf’s disaster declaration
The temporary waiver, approved by Gov. Tom Wolf, adds state-licensed pharmacists to the list of healthcare professionals who can administer COVID-19 vaccines without a physician’s order.
Red states file brief in support of Pa. GOP efforts to block late-arriving ballots from count
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas and Ohio all joined the brief, with Ohio giving its approval on the “Independent State Legislature Doctrine,” which places constitutional powers in the hands of state Legislatures, including the regulation of elections.
Pa.’s new election dashboard will show progress of mail-in ballot count alongside early returns
Pennsylvanians who plan to spend Tuesday night glued to the news will find some changes to the state’s website for reporting preliminary election results.
So you want to be a poll worker: What you need to know to work the polls on Election Day
Hit by the one-two punch of the pandemic and an aging workforce, election officials across the commonwealth and nationwide are racing to deal with a shortage of polling place volunteers on Election Day. And with two months to go before the polls open, time is running out.
A look at the 2020-2021 stopgap budget: How Pa. is paying for prisons and COVID-19 relief | The Numbers Racket
For the most part, the funding in the $25.8 billion stopgap budget will remain at the same level as the 2019-2020, but there are a few areas where the budgets differ.
Wolf, Boockvar urge Pennsylvanians to ‘apply today’ for mail-in ballots for June 2 primary
Pennsylvanians have until May 18 to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s June 2 primary is May 18. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the primary is May 26 by 5 p.m.