Counting the Vote in PA: Why Business Supports Pre-canvassing

Business leaders know that being unprepared is never a good thing. Pennsylvania’s failure to be prepared to announce election results the same day as the contest has become a national embarrassment and an unwelcome tradition. The outcome is that some voters have come to question the reliability of the entire election system. This is all bad news for our democracy and bad for the state’s business climate. Fortunately, there is a solution in the works in advance of the 2024 election.

Join us on March 31st as Business for America (BFA) Pennsylvania kicks off our new campaign to support processing mail-in and absentee ballots before election day. Hear from elected officials and business leaders on how you can support a much-needed change in a state law that would help improve how elections are conducted in the Commonwealth. This will include a business sign on letter and advocacy day in Harrisburg.

Chair of the State Government Committee and sponsor of this legislation, State Representative Scott Conklin (D) will provide the business community with an overview. Philadelphia County Commissioner Seth Bluestein (R), and Lancaster County business owner Ethan Demme will also join us to share why pre-canvassing makes common-sense. In 2020, 2.6 million Pennsylvanians voted via mail-in ballots, and this would help county officials process absentee and mail-in ballots up to three weeks prior to an election. Pre-canvassing simply allows county election officials to focus on the important task of supervising Election Day activities without having to worry about pre-processing mail-in ballots simultaneously.

As business leaders, we expect our government to deliver results when running elections, and this includes the application of consistent rules across the Commonwealth.