HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center director Marc Stier made the following statement on SB48, a bill to eliminate straight-party ticket voting, among other election reforms:
“SB48 started out as a bill to help Pennsylvania Counties secure funds to procure new, secure voting machines.
“Republicans decided to add a provision to eliminate straight ticket voting from the Pennsylvania ballot.
“As my colleague Kadida Kenner points out in a powerful op-ed today (http://bit.ly/2LpnYnH), this action will diminish the vote of people of color and low-income voters, who are often ignored by political campaigns, especially in down-ballot races—including those to the General Assembly.
“Like the unnecessary Voter ID laws and partisan redistricting plans they have adopted in the past, this is another shameful attempt by the Republican Party to rig our political system in their favor.
“We strongly urge Governor Wolf to veto this bill and find an alternative means of helping Pennsylvania counties afford new voting machines.”
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