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Josephs intros bill to make uniform voting standards permanent

HARRISBURG, June 5 – State Rep. Babette Josephs has introduced a bill that would make the voting standards that were adopted a few years ago under the federal Help America Vote Act permanent.

A voting standard is what constitutes a vote on the various voting methods the state uses, including paper, punch card and optical scanner ballots and lever machines, although the state no longer uses punch cards or lever machines.

"Uniform voting standards help those determine whether a hanging chad is a valid vote or whether a check mark on a paper ballot is considered valid," Josephs explained.

Under HAVA, each state was required to adopt uniform and nondiscriminatory standards that define what is a vote and what will be counted as one. In 2002, the state created a Voting Standards Development Board. The board developed Pennsylvania's standards, adopted them on July 1, 2003, and they were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin a month later.

A 2006 law made those standards applicable to any election held in 2006 and 2007. Josephs' bill would make the same standards applicable to any election held hereafter.

"Pennsylvania has been operating under these voting standards for several years, but state law no longer requires us to follow them. Uniform standards were developed to help those counting the votes know what should and should not be counted and ensure that all valid votes are counted," Josephs said. "We should maintain this uniformity."

The bill (H.B. 1596) has been referred to the House State Government Committee, which Josephs chairs.

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