Daily News | Pa. lawmakers agreed to a big election funding deal — with strings attached — as election proposals swirled during budget season
Pennsylvania lawmakers have agreed to give counties $45 million in new election funding as part of the state budget, a move that — if successful and it continues into future years — could significantly change how elections are funded and run in the state.
The legislation creating the new grants would also ban private election funding — something Republicans have sought to do since some counties received grants in 2020. The bill passed the state Senate by a broad 46-4 vote Thursday but proved a tougher sell in the state House, where a combination of opposition from conservative Republicans and most Democratic lawmakers meant a slim 103-96 margin.
“Requiring election workers to work 72 or more hours straight is an unsustainable model — and one that only invites errors to be made,” said Lee Soltysiak, Montgomery County’s chief operating officer and chief clerk. “Following the lead of other states that successfully pre-canvass ballots prior to Election Day is the reasonable and responsible way to go.”Counties run elections, and county governments fund their elections offices.
The $45 million total is about $5.15 per registered voter. The largest counties would be eligible for millions of dollars: Philadelphia’s 1.05 million voters in the May 2022 primary would give it about $5.4 million, Allegheny County would be eligible for $4.75 million, and Montgomery County could receive up to $3.08 million.
Counties that discover issues during the count also have less breathing room to respond, and even small errors can have a ripple effect. “The biggest fundamental issue I have with it is we should not be taking on an activity that could compromise the activity of Election Day by pulling staff and resources away,” said Mercer County elections director Thad Hall.
Banning private funding has been a top priority for legislative Republicans since 2020, when counties received grants from the Center for Tech and Civic Life,An internal state House Republican write-up of the budget deal trumpeted the measure: “No more private dollars to pay for elections .”
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