PHILADELPHIA — It was supposed to just be a small but helpful change: updating the Pennsylvania voter registration form to allow voters to simultaneously sign up for mail ballots. But the blowback from county elections officials was immediate.
After a contentious meeting of Pennsylvania elections officials, the state asked for feedback and revised its proposal. The new form, which went live over the weekend, adds a checkbox to receive mail ballots and select their mailing address. The form is now titled “Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application & Mail-in Ballot Request.”
“The goal is really to simplify the process so voters don’t have to fill out two forms,” said Jonathan Marks, a top official at the Pennsylvania Department of State, which runs elections. “That’s the overarching goal.”
