Barriers remain for Pennsylvania' s voters report shows - Axios PhiladelphiaLog InLog InAxios Philadelphia is an Axios company.

Barriers remain for Pennsylvania' s voters report shows

Data: Schraufnagel, et al., 2022, “”; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosPennsylvania voters face higher barriers to casting a ballot than most other states, according to a nonpartisan study published in the Election Law Journal. Driving the news: The ranks the Keystone State 32nd for voting access in terms of time, effort and resources needed to vote. Why it matters: Creating more obstacles to casting a ballot can discourage people from voting, depressing turnout in a swing state where past elections have had narrow margins of victory. The big picture: Rules concerning which mail-in ballots should be counted are not settled in Pennsylvania.The U.S. Supreme Court this week a lower-court order that had permitted undated mail-in ballots to be counted in the state.The decision, just weeks before November elections, has caused confusion over whether election officials can count mail-in ballots missing a date on the envelope. Details: 10 categories were taken into consideration in the report, the two most important being ease of registration and early voting availability.New Hampshire is the hardest state to vote in, but it had the seventh-highest turnout rate in 2020.Oregon is the easiest. Zoom in: Philly is sending out mail-in ballots this week for the Nov. 8 election following delays over to the ballot. Mail-in ballots can be sent out starting 50 days before election day, per .Of note: The 2020 election was the first year Pennsylvania implemented no-excuse mail-in voting. What they're saying: Marian Schneider, senior voting rights policy counsel at the ACLU of Pennsylvania, told Axios it was a "fair assessment that Pennsylvania ranks in the middle of the pack" when it comes to voting access. The state has made strides in recent years, such as extending . Yes, but: The state lacks same-day registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. Between the lines: Threats to election workers also put elections at risk, Philly officials said during a news conference on Thursday.Al Schmidt, president of the nonpartisan Committee of Seventy, called for boosting laws and protections for election workers, which he said have failed to keep pace with current threats."The Pennsylvania law around election interference is too narrow — it is outdated," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. Be smart: is the last day to register to vote in the November election.The final day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Nov. 1. All mail-in ballots must be returned by 8pm on Nov. 8. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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