Harrisburg, June 22, 2011 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) today introduced legislation to establish a general right to vote prior to scheduled Election Days.
“Voting is a right, and exercising it should not be a test of someone’s ability, commitment or simple good luck to get to the polling booth between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day,” Schwank said.
“Voters’ lives are every bit as demanding and complicated here as they are in the more than 30 states like California and Florida that already do what I am proposing, “ she said. “What works there ought to be given a chance here.”
Schwank’s legislation would provide for “No-Excuse” absentee voting, in which absentee ballots can be obtained without justification. She said using absentee voting processes already in place would be less costly than opening polls ahead of Election Day, as many states do.
Schwank, who served as Berks County Commissioner and executive director for the public advocacy organization 10,0000 Friends of Pennsylvania before being elected to the Senate, noted that absentee ballots have been allowed in Pennsylvania since the 1870s, but only when military, job or religious obligations, illness or infirmity prevent going to the polls.
“That was an innovative idea 140 years ago. But the complexities and demands of life today are quite different, so is the appreciation for the importance of universal voting,” Schwank said. “Many workers, particularly in service careers, routinely find themselves working unscheduled overtime or shifts, and last-minute interruptions that change plans happen to everyone. Meetings and doctor appointments you can reschedule, but not voting.
“We want to encourage Pennsylvanians to be interested and invested in our government, so let’s give them the same chance tens of millions of other Americans have. As important as transparency and accountability in government are, participation is really the spinach of democracy.”
Schwank’s legislation includes two bills: SB 1171 would amend the election code to extend absentee ballot processes to all voters; SB 1172 would amend the state Constitution to make clear that the processes could be extended to all voters.
-30-