HR 56 — A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the current utilization of poll workers, polling places, voting compartments and voting machines to determine the best course of action in order to minimize the time investment required to vote and ensure that the average time required to vote does not promote inequities based on geography, economic status, race, gender or other relevant factors.

PRINTER'S NO.   501

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 56
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, PIELLI, SANCHEZ,
        SCHLOSSBERG, STEELE, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CIRESI AND
        WAXMAN, FEBRUARY 5, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 5, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
 2      study on the current utilization of poll workers, polling
 3      places, voting compartments and voting machines to determine
 4      the best course of action in order to minimize the time
 5      investment required to vote and ensure that the average time
 6      required to vote does not promote inequities based on
 7      geography, economic status, race, gender or other relevant
 8      factors.
 9      WHEREAS, The United States conducts elections unlike any
10   other country in the world, empowering states to implement
11   elections by entrusting local officials in more than 10,000
12   jurisdictions to run elections; and
13      WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, all elections are conducted in each
14   voting precinct by a district election board; and
15      WHEREAS, District election boards consist of a judge of
16   election, majority inspector of election and minority inspector
17   of election; and
18      WHEREAS, Poll workers are often volunteers who have received
19   only a few hours of training; and
20      WHEREAS, The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as
 1   the Pennsylvania Election Code, stipulates that election
 2   districts may not contain more than 1,200 registered electors,
 3   except for good cause shown, and requires each election district
 4   to contain a polling place; and
 5         WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Election Code requires that each
 6   polling place have at least one voting compartment for every 200
 7   registered qualified electors, or a fraction thereof, and have
 8   no more than one machine for every 350 registered qualified
 9   electors, or a fraction thereof, nor less than one machine for
10   every 600 registered qualified electors, or a fraction thereof;
11   and
12         WHEREAS, A combination of factors often leads to increased
13   wait times at polling places, discouraging individuals from
14   voting and disproportionately affecting poorer citizens with
15   less flexibility at work; and
16         WHEREAS, In 2018, Black and Latino voters waited in line for
17   11 minutes on average, compared to just 9 minutes on average for
18   white voters; and
19         WHEREAS, As the percentage of nonwhite voters in a precinct
20   increased, so did the time it took to cast a ballot; and
21         WHEREAS, In 2020, some voters saw major delays at polling
22   places, especially in majority-minority neighborhoods; therefore
23   be it
24         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
25   State Government Commission to conduct a study on the current
26   utilization of poll workers, polling places, voting compartments
27   and voting machines to determine the best course of action in
28   order to minimize the time investment required to vote and
29   ensure that the average time required to vote does not promote
30   inequalities based upon geography, economic status, race, gender

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 1   or other relevant factors; and be it further
 2      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission study
 3   shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
 4          (1)   A breakdown of the current utilization of poll
 5      workers, polling places, voting compartments and voting
 6      machines by county and by election district.
 7          (2)   The average wait time to vote by county.
 8          (3)   The average wait time to vote based upon geography,
 9      economic status, race, gender and any other factor deemed
10      relevant by the Joint State Government Commission.
11          (4)   What extent changes can be made at the county level
12      to minimize wait times for in-person voting.
13          (5)   What extent changes can be made at the election
14      district level to minimize wait times for in-person voting.
15          (6)   Recommendations for legislative or administrative
16      action to minimize wait times for in-person voting;
17   and be it further
18      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
19   authorized to request information from the Department of State
20   and the Secretary of the Commonwealth for the study on behalf of
21   the House of Representatives; and be it further
22      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
23   authorized to request information from county boards of
24   elections for the study on behalf of the House of
25   Representatives; and be it further
26      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
27   authorized to request information from district election boards
28   for the study on behalf of the House of Representatives; and be
29   it further
30      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission report

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1   its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives
2   no later than one year after the adoption of this resolution.




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