As the General Assembly contemplates modifications to the state’s Election Code, the PA Chamber, Greater Philadelphia Chamber and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber joined together in emphasizing the need for a transparent, consistent and secure process that engenders trust in the integrity of the Commonwealth’s electoral system.

In the joint statement, the three organizations noted that they had collectively championed enhanced civic engagement and supported the 2019 sweeping election reform measure that allowed for broad-based mail-in voting and eliminated straight party voting.  Those changes were put in place prior to last year’s Primary and General Elections.  Thanks in large part to the pandemic, the state saw a surge in voters utilizing the mail-in voting option.  Citing discrepancies in how the law was administered, legislators this session in both the House and Senate have called for additional updates to the Election Code.

“As with any major policy overhaul, there is typically a need for fine tuning after the changes are implemented. Such is the case with Pennsylvania’s election law,” the three organizations said in the statement.  “As the legislature weighs possible modifications to the law, we encourage elected officials to address any variation in processes, while continuing to encourage greater voter turnout by allowing for the continuation of an appropriate broad mail-in voting process. Going forward, we strongly believe that transparency and a uniform application of the law are essential for voters to have faith in Pennsylvania’s electoral process.”