A Republican proposal that would make it more difficult to vote by mail in Pennsylvania is driven by “fringe conspiracy theories,” Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf charged Thursday.
On Wednesday, a committee in the state’s GOP-led legislature advanced a 147-page election bill that, according to a summary from PA Spotlight, would impose a new requirement that voters present ID every time they vote; currently, voters only present ID the first time they cast a ballot after registering.
A 2015 study by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found such ID requirements reduced turnout “among eligible and registered voters” by as much as 3.2%.
The GOP bill also requires signature verification for mail-in ballots and reduces the time before an election that residents have to register to vote, down from 30 days to 15.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Gov. Wolf reiterated his pledge to veto the package, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
“Make no mistake, leaders of the House Republican caucus are being driven by fringe conspiracy theories, and that is no way to make good policy,” he said.
