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Josephs: Restore voter registration site immediately and without flaws

PHILADELPHIA, March 20 – With the Pennsylvania Department of State's voter registration Web site inoperable and the registration deadline just days away, state Rep. Babette Josephs is pushing to have the Web site back up and running now.

"It's unconscionable that just days before the deadline to register to vote this tool is not available to Pennsylvanians," Josephs said. "Voting is perhaps the most important right we have as citizens. In other parts of the world, people risk their lives -- sometimes even sacrifice them -- to vote. Everyone should have every opportunity available to them in order to access that right.

"The Department of State should be utilizing every single resource at its disposal to get the site back up immediately."

News reports earlier today said the Web form on the department's voter registration site was disabled Wednesday after it was discovered that the site exposed the Social Security and driver's license numbers of those who used it, potentially making them vulnerable to identity theft.

"The Web site should be available and free of flaws immediately," said Josephs, who has put a call into Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortes to urge immediate restoration of the site. She also is spreading the word to organizations that protect voter rights.

The registration deadline to vote in the April 22 primary election is Monday, March 24.

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