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Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County urging the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to adopt an Early Voting Program for all Primary and General Elections held within the Commonwealth.
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WHEREAS, many jurisdictions have adopted Early Voting Programs, which permit registered voters to cast their ballots at designated locations during a specified period of time prior to designated Election Days; and
WHEREAS, some jurisdictions have also included Curbside Voting Programs, in which municipal employees bring ballots to vehicles driven to designated locations in order to allow a convenient opportunity to vote for individuals who have difficulty walking or standing for prolonged periods of time and who, as a result, have difficulties in voting in traditional settings; and
WHEREAS, programs often designate a time frame running from approximately two weeks through approximately four days prior to the designated Election Day for early voting; and
WHEREAS, when properly administered, the various Early Voting Programs appear to increase voter turnout and improve accessibility to the electoral process, particularly for the aged and ill residents of the jurisdictions that have implemented them, while not compromising the integrity of the electoral process; and
WHEREAS, it does not appear that Early Voting procedures are any more difficult to administer than the absentee voting procedures already in place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is hereby urged to adopt an Early Voting Program for all Primary and General Elections held within the Commonwealth such that registered voters are afforded the opportunity to cast their votes at a designated location within the municipality in which they live during a designated time period before all scheduled Election Days. It is the recommendation of Council that such time period be at least ten (10) days long, in order to afford the greatest practicable access to the electoral process for the residents of the Commonwealth.
IT IS FURTHER MOVED that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should also evaluate the practicality of including a Curbside Voting Program as part of any adopted Early Voting Program.