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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 04:22 PM Jul 2020

Pennsylvania to use coronavirus aid for prepaid postage on ballots in November election

Source: The Hill

Pennsylvania will use coronavirus relief funds allocated by Congress to pay for postage on mail-in ballots in the November general election.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar announced the plan Friday, saying that the “goal is to make voting as accessible, safe, and easy for eligible voters as possible."

"Mail-in or absentee voting with prepaid postage means Pennsylvanians can vote from the comfort of their own home, without having to make a trip to the post office to buy a stamp, during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Boockvar said.

In the CARES Act passed in March, Congress allocated $400 million to help states conduct elections during the pandemic. States have used those funds to implement safety measures at polling locations and increase mail-in voting initiatives.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/510027-pennsylvania-to-use-coronavirus-aid-to-pay-for-postage-on-ballots-in



The Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill last year that made all voters in the state eligible for mail-in voting without having to provide an excuse.
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Pennsylvania to use coronavirus aid for prepaid postage on ballots in November election (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Jul 2020 OP
This is great! gristy Jul 2020 #1
Problem is.... Chicago1980 Jul 2020 #2
TY for that, Chicago1980 Cha Jul 2020 #3
This year's primary was the first time we utilized that here in PA BumRushDaShow Jul 2020 #4
Excellent! colorado_ufo Jul 2020 #5
This is good DeminPennswoods Aug 2020 #6
I buy my stamps online left-of-center2012 Aug 2020 #7
I buy a roll of 100 forever stamps DeminPennswoods Aug 2020 #8
I may use 12 stamps a year left-of-center2012 Aug 2020 #9

Chicago1980

(1,968 posts)
2. Problem is....
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 05:12 PM
Jul 2020

The current Trump donor and appointed Postmaster General, Lewis DeJoy, is slowing postal service.

No overtime pay.

If you're not done with what you're doing, you drop it and shut down.

Union for postal workers who see shit going down: 202-842-4250

Trump filed 150 lawsuits in 41 states regarding mail-in-voting (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan...)

BumRushDaShow

(127,316 posts)
4. This year's primary was the first time we utilized that here in PA
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 06:42 PM
Jul 2020

and if you signed up to do vote-by-mail, you were given an option to continue with VBM for the general and the state would automatically send a ballot. If you didn't choose that option, you can still request one for the general (by a certain date). And each year you can renew requesting an absentee ballot and have that option effective for every other election that year.

I would think that the ballot line ups are pretty much set (outside of some ballot questions), so technically I would think they could start sending the ballots out after the conventions are done and that will hopefully give time - IF people fill them out right away and mail them - to get them delivered in time. For our delayed primary, the governor actually extended the deadline for receipt of them in certain hard-hit counties due to the pandemic, so it is conceivable that might happen again.

DeminPennswoods

(15,246 posts)
6. This is good
Sat Aug 1, 2020, 03:03 AM
Aug 2020

But I'm amused our Sec of State thinks people go to the post office to buy stamps 1 at a time.

In the primary, iirc, there was collection box outside the county courthouse where you could also drop off your absentee ballot.

left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
9. I may use 12 stamps a year
Sat Aug 1, 2020, 04:52 PM
Aug 2020

No longer pay by mail, or send out greeting cards.

Plus I'm 74 and many of my old 'contacts' have passed away.

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