Pashinski urges passage of pre-canvassing legislation & supports free and fair elections

HARRISBURG, Sept. 14 –  State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski joined House Democratic Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro, House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton and other House Democrats to support clean pre-canvassing legislation and urge support of free and fair elections.  

“Despite what some in the majority party would want you to believe, our elections are safe and secure and the things we want to do would only make them better,” said Pashinski, D-Luzerne. “By pre-canvassing mail-in ballots, it gives the time needed for counties to be able to process the ballots on election night and give all of us the results faster. This is something counties have been asking for and yet it has been tied up, thanks to the leaders on the other side of the aisle.”

According to Pashinski, pre-canvassing involves election officials preparing mail-in and absentee ballots for counting. Currently, counties cannot start that process until 7 a.m. on Election Day and due to the increased number of these ballots being utilized in the November 2020 and May 2022 elections, Pennsylvanians have had to wait several days for final election results.

Several House Democrats have introduced standalone legislation that would allow counties to pre-canvass mail-in and absentee ballots earlier – including Pashinski’s H.B. 982. These have been referred to the House State Government Committee but have been held up by House Republican leadership. Pashinski said the lack of immediate results has been used to sew doubt in the state’s elections.

“We should be making it easier for Pennsylvanians to vote, not harder. It should be more practical and convenient to vote, especially for those who may be sick and can’t go to their polling place, those who are physically impaired, those whose jobs prevent their ability to vote, those who work a traveling job, and especially for our dedicated emergency personnel who are on duty on Election Day and cannot cast a vote.”