A newly-signed executive order is poised to expand eligible Pennsylvanians’ access to voter registration information. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed the executive order Wednesday, which designated seven state agencies and their related programs as Voter Registration Distribution Agencies.
This includes the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at 121 state park office locations, the Department of Education at library locations, Department of Labor and Industry programs at CareerLink Offices, and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at state veterans’ homes, among others.
The full list of newly-designated VRDAs is as follows:
- Department of State at public Bureau of Elections, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, and Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations locations
- Department of Agriculture at events at the Farm Show Complex
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at 121 state park office locations
- Department of Corrections in connection with Bureau of Community Corrections services
- Department of Education at library locations
- Labor and Industry programs at CareerLink offices
- Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at state veterans homes
According to a release from Wolf’s office, these VRDAs will be required to make critical voter education materials to their clients and customers.
This includes an official voter registration mail application that is not specific to any county election office, an accompanying non-postage-paid envelope, and instructions explaining where to send the completed voter registration application.
The VRDAs must also visibly display nonpartisan signs or posters to indicate that official voter registration material is available on-site, and link to the Department of State’s online voter registration application on their home pages.
The executive order also directs these agencies to provide the Department of State with quarterly statistics to assess the program’s effectiveness, and designates September as Voter Registration Month.
Wolf’s office says the executive order builds on the requirements of the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which mandates that certain state agencies must provide voter registration opportunities to clients.
(Original air-date: 9/7/22)
