Keep Elections Accessible: Mail-In Voting Increases Election Participation

In January, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that mail-in ballots are unconstitutional, citing that Act 77 – the bipartisan legislation that brought no-excuse voting to Pennsylvania – should have been placed on the ballot as a constitutional amendment question.

Mail-in voting has remained in place pending an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

In light of today’s arguments in front of the Supreme Court regarding Act 77, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania would like to note information about the impact of Act 77 on election participation:

As of March 1, 2022 168,680 currently registered voters in Pennsylvania met the following criteria. These voters:

• Were registered to vote prior to the registration deadline for the 2016 election.

• Did not vote by any method in any primary or general election from 2016 through 2019.

• Are currently registered to vote.

• Voted by mail in the 2020 Presidential Election.

In short, a large number of PA citizens were registered to vote, but did not vote in any recent election, including the competitive 2016 presidential election, until they were able to vote by mail.  These voters represent everyone in the Commonwealth: all counties, both major political parties and independent/non-affiliated voters and a diverse swath of races, ethnicities, and creeds. 

This data suggests that the addition of voting by mail increased participation. We must continue to move toward full participation from every eligible voter for truly free, accessible, and fair elections.