Automatic Voter Registration

Eligible residents who interact with government programs or agencies can register to vote or have their existing registration information updated automatically, unless they actively decline.

Election Day as a Commonwealth Holiday

State Rep. Michael Puskaric (R-Allegheny) introduced House Bill 18 to make Election Day a legal holiday. The legislation was referred to the House State and Government Committee on Jan. 11, 2021. Keystone Votes is monitoring the bill.

Voter Bill of Rights and Portability

A voter bill of rights should be a top priority for voters to understand their rights prior to stepping into the booth or returning their ballot. The portable registration piece of this contributes to the voter registration modernization by utilizing information from services like the postal service to automatically update addresses of voters who have moved and allow their votes to count.

Jail & Pre-Trial Voting Access

Establish a process to allow detained individuals to register to vote by absentee ballot or establish a temporary polling place physically in the jail, where nonpartisan poll watchers are permitted to observe the process. Jails also must supply and offer voter registration materials to individuals in their custody.

Youth Pre-Registration

Many young voters are unaware of Pennsylvania’s registration deadlines or even how to register to vote. This legislative reform offers 16- and 17-year-olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote using government agencies --- especially when they get their driver’s license --- thus increasing engagement in the political process and Election Day turnout without any budget increases to the state.