Ballot Redesign Successful, Notice and Cure Still Needed

Following the Pennsylvania primary election in April, Secretary of State Al Schmidt reported a 13.5% decrease in mail-in ballots that were rejected due to voter errors. 

Philip Hensley-Robin, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, issued the following statement: 

“This decrease is worth celebrating. Thanks to this redesign, fewer voters are finding that their ballots were invalidated because of a simple mistake. We applaud Secretary Schmidt and his staff for leading this effort and making it easier for voters to ensure their votes are counted. 

“While we celebrate this small but meaningful victory, we’d be remiss if we did not mention the need for statewide notice and cure policies. Right now, a voter’s ability to fix errors on their mail-in ballot is dependent on the county they live in, and that is not acceptable. This redesign is an excellent start, but notice and cure would ensure that every mail-in voter who makes the effort to participate in our elections has their vote counted.”