Voter Action Press Release

Given the unprecedented numbers of voters registering all over the state, and the high turnout expected in the November election, our coalition calls on the Pennsylvania Secretary of State to issue immediately a directive to all Pennsylvania counties establishing the following:

>Emergency paper ballots must be offered to voters as soon as at least half of the voting machines in a precinct are not functioning;

>Emergency paper ballots must be clearly distinguished from provisional and other ballots.  Emergency ballot envelopes should be marked on the outside as “Emergency Ballot” and “Machines down” or other reason;

> Emergency paper ballots must be treated as regular (not provisional) paper ballots.  No emergency ballot should be rejected because it is missing any information that may be required of provisional ballots, but is not required of qualified registered voters who had to vote by emergency ballot; and

> Counties must properly train all their poll workers in these procedures. 

These standards are necessary, as evidence from the April 22, 2008 Pennsylvania primary election showed that while some voters were provided with emergency paper ballots when they faced machine breakdowns, others were told to go home and come back later.  Even in places where paper ballots were eventually offered, the procedures and forms of these ballots varied from county to county and from precinct to precinct.  Some voters were offered paper ballots, properly deposited in secure boxes and counted.  But others waited for hours and were subject to, and possibly disenfranchised by, provisional ballot procedures, not intended to apply to qualified registered voters. 

Further, and of even greater concern, the great majority of these reported problems occurred in precincts and census tracts with higher than average populations of people of color and people living in poverty.  This disparate and unequal treatment of similarly situated voters may well violate citizens' rights to equal protection under the U.S. and the Pennsylvania Constitutions.

When voters go to the polls in Pennsylvania this November, they should not be denied access to the ballot due to machine breakdowns and long lines.  A clear, comprehensive, and uniform standard across the state with respect to the distribution of emergency paper ballots is necessary to ensure that voters will be protected in exercising their constitutional right to vote.

ACLU - PA

Advancement Project

Black Political Empowerment Project

Chester County Coalition for Voting Integrity

Common Cause

Democracy Rising PA

Disability Rights Network of PA

Election Reform Network

Just Harvest

  League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania

NAACP National Voter Fund

NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation

PA-Verified Voting

 Pennsylvania Council of Churches

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition

Pennsylvania Voice

Philadelphia Coalition on Black Civic Participation

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

The Time is Now to Make a Change

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

Urban League of Philadelphia

VoteAllegheny

Voter Action

WomenVote PA

 Learn more about Voter Action's efforts on this issue and send a letter to the Secretary of State here

Pennsylvania Secretary of State issues directive to all Pennsylvania counties, September 3, 2008.  View the directive here