As mail ballots go out to voters ahead of Pennsylvania’s May 19 primary, the rules that determine whether those ballots are counted vary across the state.

Under Act 77, which expanded no-excuse mail voting, Pennsylvania did not establish uniform “notice-and-cure” standards for addressing minor, correctable errors on mail ballots. Instead, each of the commonwealth’s 67 counties determines its own process. This means that whether a voter is notified of an error, given clear instructions or offered a replacement ballot depends entirely on a voter’s ZIP code.

Some counties routinely notify voters, explain how to correct errors and reissue ballots automatically when appropriate. These counties report cure rates of up to 70% of ballot errors.

Unfortunately, in Lancaster County, voters can check their mail-in ballot status, but there is no curing process to assist voters in correcting minor mistakes. The result is uneven access to the ballot. A voter in one county can fix a simple error and have their vote counted, while a voter in Lancaster County may lose that opportunity altogether.

Certainly, tight timelines, staffing capacity and the absence of clear statewide standards are real constraints. But other Pennsylvania counties across party lines have demonstrated that proactive approaches can be effectively implemented.

Setting clear statewide “notice-and-cure” rules would help treat all voters the same, cut down on confusion and build trust in mail voting. With so much work going into registering and encouraging people to vote, it does not make sense to lose the votes of those who have already registered and voted.

In the meantime, Lancaster County could implement direct outreach, provide clear instructions and ensure timely ballot reissuance — procedures already in use across Pennsylvania in counties of all political parties.

Peggy Schooling

Secretary

League of Women Voters of Lancaster County

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