State and federal laws protect your right to cast a ballot regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or disability. However, voting access in Pennsylvania isn’t always equal.
Voters here do not have equal opportunities to correct mail ballots if they make a technical mistake like forgetting to date the return envelope. At least 16 counties do not give voters a chance to “cure” their mail ballots, a recent analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania found. Spotlight PA and Votebeat found similar disparities last year.
And in recent years, civil rights organizations have revealed access issues affecting people who don’t speak English or who have a disability.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, Spotlight PA held a live panel discussion on the accessibility of Pennsylvania’s elections and how you can protect your right to vote. The discussion was led by Elizabeth Estrada, Spotlight PA’s democracy editor.
Panelists included:
Kate Huangpu, government reporter, Spotlight PA
Marian K. Schneider, senior policy counsel for voting rights, ACLU of Pennsylvania
Peri Jude Radecic, chief executive officer, Disability Rights Pennsylvania
