Snyder looks to broaden absentee voting in state
State Rep. Pam Snyder, whose district includes Greene County and parts of Fayette and Washington counties, would like to see Pennsylvania allow early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting.
“We’re busy people, on the go constantly to jobs, family responsibilities (and) civic duties,” Snyder said at a Harrisburg news conference last month, noting 37 states and the District of Columbia offer some sort of early voting. Twenty-seven states and the nation’s capital offer no-excuse absentee voting.
“Not all of us work 9-to-5 shifts. We can do better. We should do better,” she continued.
A House bill would establish early voting eight days before an election day and would end on the day before a primary or general election.
Pennsylvania provides absentee ballots only for medical, military or religious reasons, or because job responsibilities force a voter out of town on election day.
“Right now, we make them jump through so many hoops for an absentee ballot,” said Washington County Commission Chairman Larry Maggi, who also heads the Washington County Election Board.
“I think people have good, valid reasons that they can’t make it to the ballot box on election day. Every election I get requests from people for absentee ballots but they’re for reasons” other than those specified in the Pennsylvania Election Code.
The bill awaits consideration in the House State Government Committee.