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An ordinance requiring that the Allegheny County Elections Division provide mail-in ballot applications to each individual registered to voter in Allegheny County.
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Whereas, Act 77 of 2019 expressly allows for the use of mailed in ballots in the voting process in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, the capability of mail-in ballots establishes a ready-made option for individuals who wish to exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their votes, but who have concerns relating to their health while voting in the crowded environment of a traditional polling place during a widespread contagious disease outbreak; and
Whereas, as of April 15, there are over 900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Allegheny County; and
Whereas, due to community spread and limited capacity for testing, there is also a presumption that there are many other positives cases in the county; and
Whereas, in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and significant potential deleterious effects of the disease on public health, both the Governor of the Commonwealth and the County Chief Executive have declared public health emergencies; and
Whereas, when viewed in the context of the same considerations that gave rise to these emergency declarations, it is clear that voting in person could put our poll workers, many of whom are members of our most vulnerable populations, and who are most at risk for the most serious effects of COVID-19 - as well as the general voting public - at risk; and
Whereas, individuals wishing to vote via mail-in ballot must submit an application no later than May 26, 2020 and the completed ballot no later than June 2 in order to do so; and
Whereas, as of April 13, Allegheny County had 47,313 mail-in and absentee ballot applications submitted online, and another 9,022 paper requests processed as well, for 56,335 total requests, a number which reflects only about 16% of the number of ballots cast in the last presidential primary (359,800); and...
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