The Pennsylvania Department of State announced Thursday that it will re-examine the ES&S 6021 XL Voting System scheduled for use in Philadelphia and Northampton counties next year.

Election Systems & Software won the bid to replace the thousands of voting machines in Philadelphia, the commonwealth’s largest county, earlier this year. Voters filed petitions Tuesday to review the decision, citing concerns over the system and procurement process.

Gov. Tom Wolf approved $90 million in bonds to help counties buy new voting machines Tuesday. This decision came days after he vetoed Senate Bill 48, which called for the funding along with some election reforms.
 
Introduced by Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia), the bill would have ended the option of the “straight party ticket” vote and the state’s closed primary elections. Pennsylvania remains one of seven states that allow voters to cast a whole ballot by pushing one button.

Just days after he vetoed a bill offering $90 million to help counties pay for new voting machines, Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced that his administration will be providing that same amount to counties through a state-issued bond.

The move from Wolf comes after the Democratic governor vetoed Senate Bill 48, legislation that would have amended the Election Code to give the General Assembly more oversight over the decertification of voting machines.

A Senate committee advanced Tuesday several significant pieces of a key election reform package, although at least one prominent piece of legislation faces an uncertain future in the House.

The Senate State Government Committee gave broad support to virtually all of the nine bills it considered, which come as part of a push by Chairman Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and others to modernize and streamline the state’s election process.

First adopted in 1937, the Pennsylvania Election Code requires polling locations to be illuminated with a lantern — or a proper substitute — to make sure voters are able to read ballot labels. State lawmakers point to that provision as a prime example of why the state needs to update its election code.

 

Fortunately, there is no shortage of proposals. The House State Government Committee reviewed close to 30 bills on Tuesday, and committee chairman Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming) said he sees a path forward for a bipartisan, omnibus election reform bill.