HARRISBURG – State Rep. Tom Caltagirone voted last week in support of S.B. 421 to provide people more time to register to vote and help pay for safer, more secure voting machines.
Caltagirone’s vote also helped Pennsylvania secure $4 million in state funding to ensure a complete census report, so the people of Pennsylvania are accurately represented and can receive proper federal funding for years to come.
S.B. 421 passed the House 138-61.
“This bill helps move Pennsylvania into the 21st century in expanding access to the ballot,” said Caltagirone, D-Berks said. “The bill will provide for vote-by-mail and no-excuse absentee ballots. It will change our voter registration deadline, pushing it to just two weeks before Election Day. In other words, this bill will provide more people with the opportunity to vote.
“The bill also will provide our state with $4 million to help promote an accurate census count. The census will determine how more than $675 billion in federal funds will be distributed, and it’s important that Pennsylvania receives the correct amount so that our state can use those funds to build better roads, provide better health care, provide better education in our schools and support our senior citizens.”
The bill now heads back to the Senate for a vote on concurrence.
