Pennsylvania launches webpages to school voters on new procedures

State officials are making good on a promise to get out the word about Pennsylvania’s new voting systems — at least online.

On Monday, three weeks before the new date when voters may apply for a no-excuse absentee ballot, the Pennsylvania Department of State launched a new website (www.votespa.com/readytovote), complete with individual pages for voters in 67 counties that explain just how to cast a ballot in the Apr. 28 presidential primary. That’s when millions of dollars in voting systems, all designed to create a paper trail for each ballot, will be used for the first time in 22 counties, including Allegheny. Some voters in Westmoreland will get an early start with a special election on March 17 to fill the vacant state House seat in District 58.

Some counties previewed their systems in last year’s municipal elections. But those elections typically draw low turnout, so millions of voters — some of whom vote only in presidential elections — likely will encounter new procedures at the polls.

Whether Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar’s efforts at online education will calm fears of problems in county elections offices across the state remains to be seen.

“We want to make sure all voters go to the polls feeling confident and equipped with the information they need to cast their ballots on their new voter-verifiable paper ballot voting systems,” Boockvar said, announcing the new online tool. “These customized websites will help ensure that all voters understand how to use the new auditable voting systems in use in their counties and give all Pennsylvania voters a clear understanding of the voting tools and options available to them.”

Although the state required all counties have voting systems that create a verifiable paper trail in time for this year’s elections, voting systems vary from county to county.

Allegheny, like Fayette, Butler and Indiana counties, will use paper ballots that are fed into electronic scanners. Washington and Westmoreland counties will use computer screens that create paper ballots to be fed into tabulating machines.

This month, Allegheny officials approved a $400,000 local marketing campaign aimed at educating voters there.

Westmoreland County Election Director Beth Lechman said her office has focused on educating poll workers in recent weeks. Her office will preview the new machines in the special election on March 17 and plans to launch a general voter education effort as the election nears.

“We are going to have a connection to (the Department of State) page on our site as well as a demo specific to Westmoreland County on our site,” Lechman said.

New voting systems are just part of the pending change.

Lawmakers also did away with straight-party voting and opened the door to casting early ballots.

For the first time, Pennsylvania voters will be able to request an absentee ballot, no questions asked, as early as 50 days for an election — which is March 9 this year.

And those who haven’t yet registered now can do so as late as 15 days before an election, as opposed to the previous 30-day deadline.

Voters can cast those ballots until 8 p.m. election day. Officials worry that provisions that bar counting those ballots until the polls close on election day could delay a final vote count in some areas.