Pennsylvania to use coronavirus aid for prepaid postage on ballots in November election
Source: The Hill
Pennsylvania will use coronavirus relief funds allocated by Congress to pay for postage on mail-in ballots in the November general election.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar announced the plan Friday, saying that the goal is to make voting as accessible, safe, and easy for eligible voters as possible."
"Mail-in or absentee voting with prepaid postage means Pennsylvanians can vote from the comfort of their own home, without having to make a trip to the post office to buy a stamp, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boockvar said.
In the CARES Act passed in March, Congress allocated $400 million to help states conduct elections during the pandemic. States have used those funds to implement safety measures at polling locations and increase mail-in voting initiatives.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/510027-pennsylvania-to-use-coronavirus-aid-to-pay-for-postage-on-ballots-in
The Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill last year that made all voters in the state eligible for mail-in voting without having to provide an excuse.
gristy
(10,667 posts)Both as a practical matter and in its symbolism.
Chicago1980
(1,968 posts)The current Trump donor and appointed Postmaster General, Lewis DeJoy, is slowing postal service.
No overtime pay.
If you're not done with what you're doing, you drop it and shut down.
Union for postal workers who see shit going down: 202-842-4250
Trump filed 150 lawsuits in 41 states regarding mail-in-voting (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan...)
Cha
(296,780 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,386 posts)and if you signed up to do vote-by-mail, you were given an option to continue with VBM for the general and the state would automatically send a ballot. If you didn't choose that option, you can still request one for the general (by a certain date). And each year you can renew requesting an absentee ballot and have that option effective for every other election that year.
I would think that the ballot line ups are pretty much set (outside of some ballot questions), so technically I would think they could start sending the ballots out after the conventions are done and that will hopefully give time - IF people fill them out right away and mail them - to get them delivered in time. For our delayed primary, the governor actually extended the deadline for receipt of them in certain hard-hit counties due to the pandemic, so it is conceivable that might happen again.
colorado_ufo
(5,730 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,265 posts)But I'm amused our Sec of State thinks people go to the post office to buy stamps 1 at a time.
In the primary, iirc, there was collection box outside the county courthouse where you could also drop off your absentee ballot.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Been buying 20 or more at a time for some years.
DeminPennswoods
(15,265 posts)once or twice a year.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)No longer pay by mail, or send out greeting cards.
Plus I'm 74 and many of my old 'contacts' have passed away.