Pa. House Passes McClinton’s Landmark Election Reform Bill
Rep. Joanna E. McClinton May 13, 2025 | 5:11 PM
HARRISBURG, May 13 – Today, the state House advanced landmark legislation authored by Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Phila./Delaware, that would improve the administration of the state’s elections while strengthening ballot access for Pennsylvania’s eligible voters.
“The Voting Rights Protection Act is a commonsense measure to improve the way Pennsylvania conducts elections,” McClinton said. “It will help our county election officials by removing existing ambiguities in the law and by allowing them to prepare mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day. It also accounts for changes in how voters want to cast their ballot by providing options for early voting, increased access to ballot drop boxes and by allowing them to correct minor errors on a mail-in ballot.”
The Voting Rights Protection Act of 2025 includes several notable provisions, including:
- Increasing the number of secure ballot drop boxes in each county.
- Making in-person voting available up to 11 days prior to an election.
- Requiring county boards of election to transition to electronic poll books by 2027.
- Creating a post-election audit process.
- Clarifying the law regarding absentee and mail-in ballots.
Since being elected in 2015, McClinton has championed voter access, authoring legislation in two prior legislative sessions. She worked closely with a coalition of voting rights and good-government organizations to craft H.B. 1396 to ensure that it responds to the needs of Pennsylvania voters while strengthening the commonwealth’s election integrity.
“Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy – and nothing is more central to our nation’s founding than the right to vote. However, it wasn’t too long ago when some Americans were still contending with discriminatory laws meant to prevent them from exercising their right. As our country approaches its 250th birthday, it is time for us to preserve and protect Pennsylvanians’ right to vote in free, fair and safe elections,” McClinton said.
The Voting Rights Protection Act was approved 102-101 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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Statements of Support for HB 1396 (McClinton) | May 2025
Salewa Ogunmefun, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Voice
"We applaud Speaker McClinton for her commitment to instituting much needed reforms to improve our democracy, especially by pushing relentlessly for an early in-person voting period where voters can cast ballots on the same machines they would use on election day. Voters across Pennsylvania clearly want an option that will make it more convenient to vote, and we appreciate her dedication to making it easier for Pennsylvanians to make their voices heard at the ballot box."
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija
"PA elections administration is out of date and in long need of reform. HB 1396 provides several critical fixes like early voting and pre-canvassing. These changes will make voting in Pennsylvania more accessible and easier for eligible voters."
Philip Hensley-Robin, Executive Director, Common Cause Pennsylvania
“Common Cause Pennsylvania is proud to support Speaker McClinton’s Voting Rights Protection Act. This essential legislation would make elections both more accessible and more secure. With this bill, all Pennsylvanians would be able to vote early in-person, and voters who vote by mail would no longer be disenfranchised for making a paperwork mistake. This bill would also make our elections more secure by codifying post-election risk limiting audits and implementing chain-of-custody rules. We urge all member of the General Assembly to support this critical legislation.”
Amy Widestrom, Executive Director, League of Women Voters Pennsylvania
"The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania supports many of the provisions in HB1396 and we applaud lawmakers for taking meaningful steps toward expanding voting access and ensuring more Pennsylvanians can participate in our elections. We encourage lawmakers to think about a measured timeline for implementing these reforms and, as always, we also urge the legislature to pair these reforms with robust funding and support for our county election offices, which are essential to implementing these reforms and administering free, fair, and accessible elections across the Commonwealth.”