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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania House Bill 785 Establishes Secure Electronic Voter Registration System
Last action · March 3, 2025: Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT, March 3, 2025Sponsors: Mary Jo Daley and 23 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Pennsylvania House Bill 785 requires the Department of State to establish and administer a secure electronic voter registration application system within 180 days, allowing s to register or update their registration online. Under the measure, applications transmitted by 11:59 p.m. on the 15th day prior to an election ensure registration for that election. The legislation also provides accommodations for individuals with disabilities and outlines signature verification procedures using Department of Transportation or other Commonwealth agency records.
Residents gain the ability to submit voter registration applications and update existing registrations online through a secure state computer system without requiring a physical signature at the time of submission, provided identity verification criteria are met.
- Pennsylvania utilizes the SURE (Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors) system as a centralized database for county voter registration records. context
- Voter registration deadlines in Pennsylvania historically require applications to be submitted by a set period before an election to allow for processing. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
qualified elector
Qualified electors gain the ability to submit voter registration applications and changes electronically through a secure online system.
department
The department is required to implement, administer, and develop security measures and regulations for the electronic voter registration system within specified timeframes.
individuals with disabilities
The department must implement specific methods for individuals with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired, to submit information through the computer system.
appropriate commission
Commissions receive electronic voter registration and change applications through the SURE system for examination, processing, and inclusion in district registers.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register to vote electronically under this bill?
What happens if the department cannot access my electronic signature?
What is the deadline to submit an electronic voter registration application for an upcoming election?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Mar 3, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to STATE GOVERNMENT, March 3, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 19 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition to Electronic Voter Registration
The bill shifts Pennsylvania from primarily paper-based and in-person voter registration systems to a fully integrated online application framework utilizing existing state agency signature records.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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