fter years of opposing such a measure, Pennsylvania Democrats are poised on Tuesday to allow a vote in the state House on a bill that, if passed, would create new ID requirements to vote in the commonwealth, alongside long-sought election law reforms.
The vote is the first step towards breaking a yearslong stalemate over election law in Pennsylvania, as House Democrats show a willingness to negotiate on a top GOP priority — in exchange for a wide range of reforms aimed at expanding ballot access and streamlining election administration.
Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives will take separate votes Tuesday on measures split across two bills: one sponsored by Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R., Cumberland) with the proposed voter ID provisions and another sweeping bill authored by House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia) to establish early in-person voting in the state, allow counties to process mail ballots before election day, eliminate the date requirement for mail-in ballots, among other changes.
Under the proposal expected to come before lawmakers Tuesday, Pennsylvania voters would be required to show ID every time they cast a ballot. The bill includes a wide-ranging list ofaccepted forms of voter ID, from photo identification to state-issued voter registration cards and utility bills.
If voters do not have an approved form of identification when voting, they would have the option to sign an affidavit attesting to their identity or ask a friend or relative to sign paperwork vouching for them, according to the bill, House Bill 771.
Pennsylvania voters are currently required to show ID only the first time they cast a ballot at a polling location, and present proof of ID every time they apply for a mail ballot.
If approved, both the bills would head to the GOP-controlled Senate. New voter ID provisions are still a several steps away from becoming law in Pennsylvania, and if passed in the current form, would not take effect until the 2027 elections. The legislation will not impact the upcoming May 20 primary election.
However, a top Senate Republican leader said that if Democrats are willing to negotiate on voter ID, it “unlocks the opportunity to have discussion on a number of issues that have not been able to advance over the last two years.” (Republicans prefer a constitutional change over a statutory change like the one expected to pass Tuesday, since voter ID statutory changes have previously been struck down by the courts.)…
Thad Hall, the election director in Mercer County, said significant changes would be needed to make the bill work for small counties.
Some of the policies, he said, appeared written for Pennsylvania’s larger counties with dozens or hundreds of staff members. The bill requires early voting be available on the weekend and that counties have two drop boxes, checked daily by two workers. While a big county may manage this easily, Hall said it would be burdensome for counties with just one or two election workers.
“It doesn’t help your cause if you don’t consult smaller counties and you put things in there that legitimately would undermine our ability to do our work,” he said.
But the concepts were on the right track, Hall said, noting that he was bracing for a “s— show” in 2026 if early in-person voting is not approved by then.
“I am grateful that somebody in leadership took the time to actually put together a bill that, even if it’s not perfect, at least it has the good moving parts in it that could be fixed,” he added.