department-of-state
Chapman expresses confidence in local election officials ahead of Election Day
In a statement issued on Sunday, Gov. Tom Wolf said that voters should have the opportunity to fix minor errors on their ballots.
Pa.’s long-running row over undated ballots is back in federal court as Election Day nears
Days before voters head to the polls, Pennsylvania’s long-running political argument over whether to count undated mail-in ballots has been put in the hands of a federal judge. The suit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, asks a judge to bar Pennsylvania election officials from rejecting mail-in ballots […]
Pa. Department of State anticipates ‘several days’ worth of work’ to tally election results
But “this delay does not mean anything nefarious is happening,” Pennsylvania acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman told reporters during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Licensing bill would broaden access to behavioral analysis treatment, advocates say
'Why aren’t we opening up as many venues as possible? We have so many problems with behavioral health,' state Rep. Thomas Mehaffie, R-Dauphin, said.
State officials encourage Pennsylvanians to serve as poll workers ahead of November election
In Pennsylvania, poll workers are paid for their time working on Election Day and counties provide the training necessary for the poll workers to perform their duties.
While GOP lawmaker amplifies call for election reform, state officials push back on misinformation
Three lawsuits and a GOP lawmaker's calls for election reform have state officials reassuring the public that their votes will be heard in November.
State officials report more than 910k requests for mail-in, absentee ballots | Five for the Weekend
State election officials are reminding voter who voted or plan to vote via mail-in ballot, to return ballots to their county board of elections as soon as possible.
More than 664K Pa. voters have applied for mail-in ballots ahead of primary election, Pa. says
The 2022 primary election, which will decide each party’s nominees for all 203 state House seats, half of the 50-member state Senate, congressional seats, and the nominees for governor and lieutenant governor in the November general election, is Pennsylvania’s third primary election with the option for no-excuse mail-in ballots.
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 […]