Pennsylvania: John Kasich: The 13 minutes that could make — or break — his campaign | CNN

That amount of time may be the saving grace for John Kasich’s presidential campaign strategy, one that relies heavily on the state of Pennsylvania — a state where Kasich’s lawyers are battling to keep him on the ballot. Central to that battle is a missed deadline by a Marco Rubio supporter in the state who objected to hundreds of signatures filed by Kasich’s campaign to get onto the state’s ballot. The deadline was missed, according to Kasich’s legal team, by all of 13 minutes, making the petition void. Yet even seizing on that technicality hasn’t led to a simple resolution of the issue. As both sides prepare to file new briefs in the case Monday, no less than Kasich’s entire post-Ohio primary strategy is at stake.

Pennsylvania: Judge Rules That Ted Cruz is Eligible to Run for President | Wall Street Journal

A Pennsylvania judge has rejected an effort to kick Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz off the state primary ballot, ruling that the Texas senator’s birth outside of the United States doesn’t disqualify him from the ballot under the U.S. Constitution. The ruling is the latest legal victory for Mr. Cruz on the eligibility question. So-called “birther” suits have been filed in other states, including New York and Illinois. The cases in those two states were dismissed on technical grounds. Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution says a president must be a “natural born Citizen.” Mr. Cruz has been a citizen from birth because his mother was one. The question is whether his birthplace, a hospital in Calgary, makes him a “natural born citizen,” a term undefined in the Constitution and by the Supreme Court.

Pennsylvania: For John Kasich, a battle over signatures to appear on primary ballot | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s own lawyer agrees the presidential campaign submitted fewer valid signatures than are required for the candidate to appear on Pennsylvania’s primary ballot. But he argued in court Wednesday that it doesn’t matter because an objection to Mr. Kasich’s nominating petitions was filed 13 minutes too late. At issue is whether challenges to Pennsylvania nominating petitions are due by 5 p.m. or 11:59 p.m. on the last day to file. Attorneys for Mr. Kasich and the objector have stipulated that the campaign filed no more than 2,184 signatures with the state, and that 192 of those signatures were not valid. Republican and Democratic candidates for president must submit 2,000 signatures to appear on the ballot.

Pennsylvania: Texas consultant to Rand Paul loses election law challenge | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A federal judge has denied a temporary restraining order to a Texas man challenging Pennsylvania election law and seeking to circulate petitions for Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul. Texas resident Trent Pool, and his firm Benezet Consulting, LLC, allege that their First Amendment right to circulate nominating petitions for the April primary election ballot is unconstitutionally limited by three provisions in Pennsylvania election law.

Pennsylvania: Old voting machines are sticking around | WITF

Pennsylvania’s top elections official says the commonwealth is heading into a big election year with outdated voting machines.
Most of the state’s voting systems were purchased around 10 years ago. They weren’t made to last a decade, creating the possibility of faulty vote tallies and long lines on Election Day. “By some accounts, some of those systems… are at the point at the end of their useful life,” Secretary of State Pedro Cortés told reporters last month. “Some of the vendors may no longer have replacement parts, and you’re setting yourself for potential issues going forward.”

Pennsylvania: State’s online voting initiative recognized | York Dispatch

More than 31,000 people have turned to the Internet to register to vote since Pennsylvania introduced online voter registration nearly five months ago. For its efforts implementing the website, the Pennsylvania Department of State was awarded the 2015 Pennsylvania Excellence in Technology award, which recognizes projects that use technology to deliver government service. From the end of August, when the initiative was launched, through Dec. 7, nearly 51,000 people — 31,317 who have registered to vote and 19,560 who changed their registration — used the state’s www.votesPA.com website, according to Department of State data.

Pennsylvania: Groups call for mail-in voting, in-person early voting, and more | WITF

A handful of groups are getting together to push for changes to the state’s voting laws. The organizations – like Common Cause Pennsylvania, the League of Women Voters, and the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group – say they’re asking for modest changes. They want to create a pre-registration system for teenagers to get on the voting rolls before they turn 18, and allow same-day registration for everyone. Another suggestion is for Pennsylvania to start in-person voting before Election Day — something that 33 states already allow.

Pennsylvania: Coalition pushes for voting reforms to get more to the polls in Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bemoaning a 25 percent turnout in this fall’s general election, a nonpartisan coalition wants to make it easier for Pennsylvanians to vote, proposing reforms like same-day registration and optional voting by mail. But it’s unclear whether reforms could have an impact on next year’s presidential election. Keystone Votes is seeking a sweeping overhaul of restrictions on voter registration and access to the polls. Many voters “really struggle to make it to the polls on Election Day,” said Karen Buck, executive director of Philadelphia-based SeniorLAW Center. And all voters, she said, “would welcome more flexibility and choice in deciding when and how to cast a vote.” Other members of the group include the state League of Women Voter Pennsylvania Voice, Common Cause Pennsylvania and the state ACLU.

Pennsylvania: Dismissed Luzerne County election official on leave from new job in Georgia during probe of alleged voting irregularities – Times Leader – timesleader.com

Former Luzerne County Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza was placed on paid leave from a similar job in Georgia while state officials investigate allegations of voter fraud in a referendum that failed this week. Burke Brennan a spokesman for DeKalb County Friday confirmed Piazza was on administrative leave pending an investigation into the vote to make LaVista Hills a city. The ballot measure lost by 136 votes and according to media reports, Piazza said he took steps to attempt to prove fraud. Piazza could not be reached for comment.

Pennsylvania: South Philly woman gets $10,000 prize for voting | Philadelphia Inquirer

Casting a ballot paid off for one South Philadelphia woman Tuesday night. Bridget Conroy-Varnis headed home from her polling place at the Murphy Recreation Center $10,000 richer, thanks to the Philadelphia Citizen lottery that awarded the five-figure prize to one lucky voter, just for showing up at the polls. The Citizen said it randomly chose the polling location at 3rd and Shunk streets from the 1,686 sites citywide and the time of 6:36 p.m. Conroy-Varnis was the first voter to leave the rec center after that time. Conroy-Varnis told reporters she was “overwhelmed” as she was handed an oversize check. The $10,000 came from a foundation launched by Ajay Raju, chairman of the Dilworth Paxson law firm and a Philadelphia Citizen cofounder. The scheme was meant to boost voter turnout for the election.

Pennsylvania: A $10,000 prize – for voting in Philadelphia | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia residents: If you trouble yourselves to vote Nov. 3, you might win $10,000. Seriously. That was the scheme laid out Thursday, showcased in part by two ex-rivals – former Mayor John F. Street and three-time Republican mayoral candidate Sam Katz, whom Democrat Street twice defeated. They teamed up to promote voting in a city that has seen abysmal turnouts in recent years. “Desperate times require desperate measures, and this is certainly the case,” Katz said at a LOVE Park event announcing what promoters billed as a lottery. The two men joined Larry Platt, former editor of Philadelphia Magazine and the Philadelphia Daily News, as he announced the plan to give $10,000 to one lucky voter on Election Day.

Pennsylvania: Wolf finds fault with third parties court ruling | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It’s not that Gov. Tom Wolf opposes a federal judge’s order to make life easier for third-party political candidates. In fact, a spokesman said, Mr. Wolf supports legislation to do just that. But the Wolf administration says it isn’t sure how to respond to the ruling itself, which is why it’s appealing to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “The governor certainly supports access for minor and aspiring parties,” Wolf spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan said. Still, a July opinion by U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel “left open questions that require resolution.” Pennsylvania law requires minor-party candidates seeking statewide office to obtain tens of thousands of signatures to appear on the November ballot. Democrats and Republicans need no more than 2,000 signatures to compete in the primary, where success guarantees a ballot spot in November.

Pennsylvania: Democratic lawmakers advance voting-reform bills | The Philadelphia Tribune

A bloc of state Representatives — Scott Conklin, Tina Davis and Brian Sims — have introduced bills that would automate voter registration, form an independent redistricting commission and allow in–person absentee ballot voting. Conklin and Sims have partnered on a bill that would automatically register eligible individuals when that person obtains a Pennsylvania driver’s license; Davis and Sims introduced a bill that acts on the precedent set in Arizona, which ended gerrymandering there. “Any serious discussion about reforming government begins with redistricting and establishing a fairer system for drawing our state’s voting maps,” said Davis, D–Bucks. “The independent commission that our measure would create would put voters — and not political advantage — at the forefront when electoral districts are revised.

Pennsylvania: Online voter registration takes off | Lancaster Online

The Pennsylvania Department of State is very pleased with the initial response to its online voter registration system. The system launched Aug. 27 and more than 11,000 people already have used it to register or to update their registrations, including more than 550 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortés said Thursday. For state and county election officials, it reduces paperwork, and improves efficiency, he said.

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania becomes 23rd state to offer online voter registration | The Daily Collegian

Preparing for the next election just became easier for Pennsylvanians, who can now register to vote online. On Aug. 27, Gov. Tom Wolf and his Secretary of State Pedro Cortès, made Pennsylvania the 23rd state in the country to offer the modernized option with hopes that it will offer convenience and more accessibility. “It is about giving citizens an easier way to exercise their right to vote and establishing a clearer connection between the political system and the citizens,” Wolf said, according to his website. Since its release, over 4,000 people have already registered to vote, said Wanda Murren, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Pennsylvania: Thousands take advantage of new online voter registration in Pennsylvania | PennLive

Nearly 5,000 Pennsylvanians have registered to vote online less than a week after the state launched the service, according to state government officials. Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortes implemented online voter registration on Aug. 27. The Wolf Administration said it reached 4,920 applications by 3 p.m. Wednesday and expected to receive 5,000 by the end of the day.

Pennsylvania: Voter registration enters digital age | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

You can bank online, chat with your friends over the Internet or buy virtually anything online and have it shipped to your door. As of Thursday, you also can register to vote online in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes made the announcement Thursday at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, flanked by voting advocates and county elections officials. “It will make registering more convenient and accessible for voters, while saving money and time for county voter registration staff,” Mr. Cortes said. As of the end of the day Thursday, 662 applications already had been submitted at register.votesPA.com. The online system will not replace traditional paper registration, officials said, but will supplement it.

Pennsylvania: State Launches Online Voter Registration | PoliticsPA

On Thursday, Gov. Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro Cortés announced that PA has become the latest state to launch an online voter registration application. Hosted by the Department of State, the form is now available for use by eligible citizens at register.votesPA.com. “Online Voter Registration is about making the voting experience more convenient and more accessible,” Governor Wolf said in a statement on Thursday. “It is about giving citizens an easier way to exercise their right to vote and establishing a clearer connection between the political system and the citizens. Online voter registration is secure, it improves accuracy and will reduce costs for counties by cutting down on time-consuming data entry.” Online voter registration is available in 22 other states. In five additional states and the District of Columbia, OVR has been approved and is awaiting implementation. According to Secretary Cortés, the trend towards OVR is only natural in an increasingly digital world.

Pennsylvania: Wolf to announce online voter registration for Pennsylvania | Associated Press

Pennsylvanians will be able to register online to vote. Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration plans to launch the system Thursday, making Pennsylvania the 23rd state to offer Internet-based registration, officials told The Associated Press. The National Conference of State legislatures says five other states have approved online systems but not yet implemented them. Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, the state’s top election official, plan to discuss the details at a news conference at the Harrisburg headquarters of the Pennsylvania County Commissioners Association. Doug Hill, the group’s director, said Wednesday that county officials strongly support the new system. nOnline registration was among the voting reforms the Democratic governor promised when he ran for office last year. Supporters say it’s cheaper, more accurate and more convenient than registering on paper.Online registration was among the voting reforms the Democratic governor promised when he ran for office last year. Supporters say it’s cheaper, more accurate and more convenient than registering on paper.

Pennsylvania: State planning online voter registration rollout | The Altoona Mirror

While state officials haven’t said much publicly about the plan, Pennsylvania could soon be the 28th U.S. state to offer paperless, online voter registration, local officials confirmed Friday. The plan would open voter registration – currently carried out by mail – to the Internet, with state driver’s-licenseholders able to submit their signatures electronically. Those without licenses could sign up as well, though they’d still have to fill out some paperwork, officials said. “It is coming. Online voter registration is coming,” Bedford County Chief Clerk Jill Gordon said Friday. “I don’t know an exact rollout date.” Gordon said county-level election officers have been involved in phone conferences with state officials, including Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortes, to discuss the plan. Planners had initially hoped to roll out the new system by the end of August, she said.

Pennsylvania: Though only one race will appear on the ballot, Tuesday’s special election will cost thousands | PennLive

It might be a special election with only one race appearing on the ballot, but it still has to be run like any other election. And like regular elections, you need to rent polling places, pay poll workers and make sure you’ve got all of the supplies necessary for this important part of the democratic process, Cumberland County Director of Elections and Voter Registration Penny Brown said Thursday. Brown said Tuesday’s special election to fill a vacant state House seat in the 87th District will cost about $60,000, and maybe as much as $70,000. The county will be reimbursed this cost by the state, though, Brown pointed out.

Pennsylvania: Minor parties get court win in Pa. ballot-access lawsuit | Associated Press

A federal judge threw out provisions in Pennsylvania law on Friday that he said make it unconstitutionally difficult for independent or minor political party candidates to get onto ballots because of the threat of costly court challenges. The decision was cheered by ballot-access advocates who regard Pennsylvania as harboring the nation’s toughest barriers to candidates who are not Republicans or Democrats. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel in Philadelphia targets the financial penalties that judges can impose on candidates who lose a court challenge to the validity of the signatures of registered voters on their nomination petitions.

Pennsylvania: Luzerne County’s handling of write-ins comes under fire | Times Leader

Luzerne County’s approach to tallying write-in votes has come under fire, prompting a lengthy debate at last week’s county council meeting. West Hazleton Borough Councilman James Bucky Kulaga raised the issue along with several council members, questioning why the the county election board didn’t declare him a Democratic write-in winner in the borough council race after the May 17 primary. Kulaga, who won one of the four Republican nominations, said 10 Democratic write-in votes were required to receive that party’s nomination.

Pennsylvania: GOP activists claim district judge must resign to seek state Senate seat | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In separate complaints, two Republican activists contend that District Judge Guy Reschenthaler is violating judicial ethics rules in seeking a Republican nomination for the state Senate. Mr. Reschenthaler dismisses the complaints as political sniping, noting that he had received an advisory opinion from a judicial ethics panel that his pursuit of the GOP nomination was appropriate. Mr. Reschenthaler of Jefferson Hills was elected district judge in 2013. The state Senate seat, covering Jefferson Hills and other southern and western suburbs, opened when former Sen. Matt Smith, a Democrat, resigned in midterm to become president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. That set the stage for a special election to fill the balance of the term, which will take place at the same time as the November general election.

Pennsylvania: Bill calls for redistricting reform | WHTM

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is proposing legislation to set new rules for mapping the state’s congressional and legislative districts. Under House Bill 1344, Pennsylvania citizens – not politicians – would be responsible for drawing the boundaries that equally divide the state’s population during the apportionment that follows each 10-year census.

Pennsylvania: Questions raised about possible election reforms | New Castle News

As of May, 27 states have passed laws offering online voter registration.Pennsylvania isn’t one of them, but Gov. Tom Wolf wants to change that and possibly recommend other election reforms, including allowing early voting, same day registration and no excuse absentee voting. Jeffrey Sheridan, the governor’s press secretary, said Wolf “is committed to implementing commonsense, secure election reforms” that encourage better participation. He noted that the state Senate previously authorized online registration by unanimous vote, but the measure did not come up for a vote by the House.

Pennsylvania: Same-day voter registration bill pushed as way to increase turnout | Patriot-News

Legislation that seeks to boost voter turnout by making exercising this constitutional right more convenient in Pennsylvania is being pushed by two Democratic House members and several organizations. Same-day Voter Registration Could Increase Voter Participation, Supporters Say Lawmakers and others are calling for the passage of legislation that would allow voters to register at their polling place on Election Day and vote by provisional ballot. Their ballot t would only be counted after the Department of State approved their voter registration application. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-Erie, and lists 28 Democrats as its co-sponsors, would allow voters to register to vote at their county courthouse or polling place on the day of the election.

Pennsylvania: Programming error affects voting in Palmyra Borough Council race | Lebanon Daily News

Voters in Palmyra Borough ran into a problem casting their ballots in a Primary Election council race Tuesday morning. Three candidates – Scott Mazzocca, Carissa Mellinger, and Ralph Watts – are seeking the Republican nomination to two seats carrying two-year terms, but the electronic voting machines in the borough’s three precincts only allowed voters to select one candidate. The programming malfunction was caused by human error and was noticed about an hour after the polls had opened at 7 a.m. and roughly 30 ballots had been cast, said county administrator Jamie Wolgemuth, who sits on the Lebanon County Board of Elections. Once the problem was detected, poll workers began giving voters an emergency ballot to select a second candidate, Wolgemuth said.

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Election Officials Charged With Voter Fraud | NBC

On the night before Philly’s primary, four local election officials are accused of casting extra votes in order to balance their numbers. Sandra Lee, 60, Alexia Harding, 22, James Collins, 69, and Gregory Thomas, 60, are all charged with voter fraud. Warrants for their arrests were issued Monday. All four suspects were election officials from Philly’s 18th Ward, 1st Division. “There’s no legally justifiable reason to vote multiple times and you cannot falsely certify that you live in a particular ward and division in order to work the polls and collect a check,” said District Attorney Seth Williams. “Our democracy rests on free and fair elections, but it also relies on the fact that they are conducted properly, which is why these four individuals deserve to be arrested for what they did.”

Pennsylvania: Secretary of State Cortes gets neutral vote | Associated Press

A state Senate committee on Tuesday took the unusual step of sending Pedro Cortes’ nomination for a second stint as Pennsylvania’s secretary of state to the Senate floor without any recommendation. The State Government Committee voted without dissent after an hourlong hearing that largely focused on Cortes’ role in the case of former Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence for killing three babies born alive during illegal abortions at his former clinic.