In his letter “How about we all make our own mask decisions?” (May 23, TribLIVE), George Silowash said he believed state mask mandates have taken our rights away. I wonder if he feels as strongly about these changes to state election laws being pushed by Republican state Rep. Seth Grove:
• Poll watchers selected by the state GOP who would be permitted to station themselves inside county election offices to “observe” voters who arrive to request, submit or drop off mail-in ballots.
• Eliminating the permanent list that allows voters to automatically receive mail-in ballot applications from their county boards of elections.
• Voter signature verification of all mail-in and in-person ballots.
If these changes are enacted, it will make it more difficult if not impossible for voters across the state to exercise their right to vote.
Allowing Republican poll watchers to “observe” in election offices is a method of intimidating voters who prefer voting by mail. Eliminating the permanent list would require elderly and disabled voters, those without transportation to the polls, those with with chronic medical conditions and others to reapply for mail-in ballots for each election. And that signature verification requirement would allow election workers, untrained in handwriting analysis, to toss out votes when they believe signatures don’t match.
If these changes become law, they will stop millions of Pennsylvania voters from casting their ballots. Those of us who would be adversely affected by these changes will fight like hell not to have our rights taken away by decisions made by the Republican Party.
Frances Weiss
White Oak