Pennsylvania Democrats Introduce Bill To Improve Voting Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Pennsylvania Democrats introduced the K. Leroy Irvis Voting Rights Protection Act, House Bill 2090, an election reform bill focused on making voting easier and safer. House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton (D) announced the bill, named after the first Black speaker of the Pennsylvania House on the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol to highlight the necessity for safeguarding democracy in Pennsylvania. “My proposal is not about erecting barriers, accessing sensitive information from Pennsylvanians, or suppressing voter turnout – specifically in our Black and Brown communities,” said McClinton. “It is about investing in ways to strengthen our election process that benefits everyone.”
H.B. 2090 builds upon bipartisan reforms enacted in 2019 and contains numerous pro-voting provisions. The provisions include: expanding the early voting period, enacting same-day registration, permitting election workers to pre-canvass mail-in ballots, increasing poll worker pay, requiring more drop boxes in populated areas and more. For Democrats, moving H.B. 2090 through Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled General Assembly will be an uphill battle. Republican legislators approved a voter suppression bill last year, which was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf (D).