Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Deal would ease voting next year (but not all the way) in a big bellwether state

Pennsylvania voters stand in a long line

These voters in Philadelphia in 2016 could have cast a straight-ticket ballot. That form of voting would end under a bipartisan legislative deal that mainly eases access to the voting booth.

Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images

Some of the most important expansions of ballot access in 2020 are very likely to be in Pennsylvania, one of the biggest of the tossup states where the presidency could get decided next year.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republicans in charge of the General Assembly reached a deal this week on a legislative package that would smooth access to the polls in four ways starting with the primaries in April, which may provide a turning point in the Democratic presidential contest.

An even bigger impact could come in the fall, when Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes will be central to the strategies of both nominees and turnout will be all-important. After backing the Democrat in six straight elections, the state went to President Trump in 2016 by less than a percentage point — a gap of 44,000 votes out of more than 6 million cast.

But the bill, which is on course for approval in Harrisburg in coming days, would provide no democracy reform panacea in the nation's fifth most populous state. Instead, it is being described by its proponents as propelling Pennsylvania from the back of the pack into the top half of the states when it comes to ease of voting.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter


"These are really good reforms, and they will bring us more in line with 20th century voting. Not even the 21st century. It's a step in the right direction," said Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola, a prime negotiator of the legislation. "We haven't had any changes to our voting laws, our election laws, in decades."

"It's clear improvement on the whole to the process, sort of maybe revolutionary only by Pennsylvania standards," David Thornburgh, who runs a "good government" group in the state called the Committee of Seventy, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "On the Richter scale of change, it's not a nine."

In addition to making it easier for Pennsylvania to vote, the package would provide $90 million for purchasing new paper-based voting machines to replace the electronic equipment now in use across the state. Still, it would take a generous portion of the federal election security grant pool now being considered in Congress, and for that money to be appropriated relatively quickly, for the state to have what it needs (about $150 million) to deliver to all 67 counties the hacking-resistant, auditable machines that security experts say should be the standard.

The big win in the bargain for Republicans legislators was their top wish for bettering democracy: removing Pennsylvania from the dwindling list of states (just eight now) that will permit straight-ticket voting next year.

Republicans say allowing voters to make a single selection endorsing all of one political party's candidates on the ballot is a deterrent to having the electorate become educated on all their choices, a punishment for lesser-known candidates and an improper reward for party bosses.

Democrats and most good-government groups disagree and point to research showing straight-party voting boosts turnout, especially in urban areas and other places where too few voting machines mean long and discouraging wait times.

The biggest changes to voting that would be created if the bill becomes law:

  • Allowing any voter to request an absentee ballot and use it to vote by mail without providing a reason. The state is currently among 19 that require voters to justify why they cannot go to the polls on Election Day.
  • Extending the deadline for returning an absentee ballot to when the polls close on Election Day, four days later than now. Critics say the current Friday-before-Election-Day cutoff is one reason why Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of absentee ballot rejections in the country.
  • Permitting voters to be placed on a list for receiving an absentee ballot indefinitely, so they may always vote early and by mail. Six states and the District of Columbia allow this for all voters; 11 others allow it for the elderly or disabled.
  • Setting a voter registration deadline of 15 days before an election, instead of 30 days. The state and five others now have registration deadlines a month before the polls close. The change would put Pennsylvania among six states that allow voters to register within two and a half weeks of Election Day, but negotiators decided against proposals to add the state to the roster of 19 with same-day registration.

Also abandoned in the talks were proposals for adding Pennsylvania to the roster of 16 states that automatically register eligible voters when they interact with state agencies such as the motor vehicle bureau; turning the drawing of political boundaries over to an independent panel; and opening primaries to independent and third-party voters.

Read More

Business professional watching stocks go down.
Getty Images, Bartolome Ozonas

The White House Is Booming, the Boardroom Is Panicking

The Confidence Collapse

Consumer confidence is plummeting—and that was before the latest Wall Street selloffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship
Getty Images, Mykyta Ivanov

Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship

The current approaches to proactively counteracting authoritarianism and censorship fall into two main categories, which we call “fighting” and “Constitution-defending.” While Constitution-defending in particular has some value, this article advocates for a third major method: draining interest in authoritarianism and censorship.

“Draining” refers to sapping interest in these extreme possibilities of authoritarianism and censorship. In practical terms, it comes from reducing an overblown sense of threat of fellow Americans across the political spectrum. When there is less to fear about each other, there is less desire for authoritarianism or censorship.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Vote" pin.
Getty Images, William Whitehurst

Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter in Deciding Elections

New research from the Unite America Institute confirms a stark reality: Most ballots cast in American elections don’t matter in deciding the outcome. In 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast a meaningful vote that actually influenced the outcome of a U.S. House race. For state house races, on average across all 50 states, just 13% cast meaningful votes.

“Too many Americans have no real say in their democracy,” said Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano. “Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts, but that truly matters. We should demand better than ‘elections in name only.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands outside of bars.
Getty Images, stevanovicigor

Double Standard: Investing in Animal Redemption While Ignoring Human Rehabilitation

America and countries abroad have mastered the art of taming wild animals—training the most vicious killers, honing killer instincts, and even domesticating animals born for the hunt. Wild animals in this country receive extensive resources to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Americans spent more than $150 billion on their pets in 2024, with an estimated spending projection of $200 million by 2030. Millions of dollars are poured into shelters, rehabilitation programs, and veterinary care, as shown by industry statistics on animal welfare spending. Television ads and commercials plead for their adoption. Stray animal hotlines operate 24/7, ensuring immediate rescue services. Pet parks, relief stations in airports, and pageant shows showcase animals as celebrities.

Keep ReadingShow less