Chaos or Calm: Building Confidence in the 2024 Election

The PA Election Code is antiquated and consists of conflicting provisions that need to be resolved as we head into the 2024 election cycle — and it’s time for action. For businesses committed to supporting their employees interest in voting, the changes in the code will help to increase confidence in how elections are conducted. This, in turn will drive citizen participation, help reduce polarization, and improve the state’s economic climate.

Hear from Democrat and Republican county commissioners and election experts about policies Harrisburg can enact in the 2023–2024 legislative session so elections in Pennsylvania can run more efficiently, avoid potential chaos, and restore trust. Our guests will cover issues including:

Pre-canvassing – Under current PA Election Code counties cannot open, prepare, and tabulate mail in ballots until 7am on Election Day. Learn why the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has asked for counties to be allowed to begin pre-canvassing absentee and mail-in ballots up to three weeks prior to an election.

Codifying Laws – Act 77 fundamentally changed how elections are conducted in Pennsylvania including mail-in voting, but the way the law was written fails to provide consistency across the Commonwealth. This is particularly relevant on important issues such as ballot curing where counties decide for themselves if they will accept ballots which were submitted without a secrecy envelope (colloquially known as “naked” ballots), or ballots that were not dated or misdated.

Giving Election Administrators the Tools to Succeed – As the duties of election officials have evolved, the tools they have been provided with have not. For instance, election administrators throughout Pennsylvania utilize a system known as the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors. The SURE system was introduced in the early 2000’s and is in dire need of being modernized to keep up with the role of mail in ballots in PA elections.

We hope you’ll join us to learn how your business can help create a more functional electoral system in Pennsylvania. Business for America is a nonpartisan nonprofit working at the federal and state level to advocate for pro-democracy reform and civic engagement.

Co-hosted by: Fair Districts PA, PA League of Women Voters, Committee of Seventy, Pocono Chamber of Commerce