{"id":2038854,"date":"2023-09-20T14:37:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvanias-switch-to-automatic-voter-registration-is-inconsistent-with-state-law-election-experts-say\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T14:40:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:40:06","slug":"pennsylvanias-switch-to-automatic-voter-registration-is-inconsistent-with-state-law-election-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvanias-switch-to-automatic-voter-registration-is-inconsistent-with-state-law-election-experts-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Election experts claim Pennsylvania&#8217;s automatic voter registration switch contradicts state law."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpennsylvanias-switch-to-automatic-voter-registration-is-inconsistent-with-state-law-election-experts-say%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2038854&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro&#8217;s Decision to Implement Automatic Voter Registration Likely \u2064Violates \u200cConstitution\u2064 and State Law<\/h2>\n<p>Several\u200b election experts have raised concerns that Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro&#8217;s decision to unilaterally implement \u2062automatic \u200cvoter \u2064registration (AVR) in Pennsylvania may violate the Constitution and state law,\u2062 according to \u200bThe\u2064 Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Shapiro announced that Pennsylvania would join\u2062 over 20 other states in implementing AVR through its Department of Transportation (PennDOT). \u2062This move allows eligible residents who obtain new or renewed driver licenses and ID cards at facilities like the DMV\u2062 to be automatically\u2064 taken through the voter registration \u2064application process, unless they choose to opt out.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-744275273\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-acc1b02678e24b4388b76478dab61f21 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-acc1b02678e24b4388b76478dab61f21\"><\/div>\n<h3>Legal Concerns Raised<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Individuals must meet \u2062certain criteria,\u2064 including being U.S. citizens, \u2064Pennsylvania residents, and residents of\u200b their district\u200b at least 30 days before the next election, \u2062to register to vote.<\/li>\n<li>Legal experts argue that Shapiro&#8217;s \u2062implementation of AVR through \u2062executive fiat may violate state law, which requires a voter registration\u200b application completed at the DMV to \u200dbe signed by the applicant.<\/li>\n<li>Heather\u200c Honey, \u2064CEO of Verity\u2063 Vote, \u2062also\u2064 questions Shapiro&#8217;s legal\u200c authority\u200b to \u200bimplement AVR\u2064 unilaterally, citing Article 1, Section\u200c 4 of the \u2063U.S. Constitution and state law provisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to Honey, Shapiro&#8217;s actions are inconsistent with Pennsylvania law and he does not have the authority\u200d to change or ignore language in the statute.<\/p>\n<p>AVR&#8217;s Impact on Elections<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Despite Shapiro&#8217;s claims \u200bthat AVR will ensure &#8220;free and fair elections,&#8221; critics argue that the\u2064 system is prone to \u2062human error and can lead \u200cto the registration of non-U.S.\u2063 citizens.<\/li>\n<li>Non-citizens who are lawfully present in\u200c Pennsylvania are already \u200cpermitted \u200cto apply for a REAL ID driver&#8217;s \u2063license or ID card, and there have been efforts to expand this \u200ballowance to all residents regardless of \u200bimmigration status.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Additionally, a district court judge previously ordered Pennsylvania to release\u2064 records regarding\u200c a \u2063&#8221;glitch&#8221; \u2063within \u200cPennDOT that allowed\u200c non-citizens to register to vote. The \u200cjudge ruled that the Public Interest\u2062 Legal Foundation is entitled to access these documents to address errors in the state&#8217;s voting files.<\/p>\n<p>Concerns about Election Integrity<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AVR\u200b not only jeopardizes the accuracy of voter \u2063rolls\u2062 but also \u2062benefits Democrats \u2063by inflating voter registration lists.<\/li>\n<li>Left-wing nonprofits have been accused \u200bof using their tax-exempt \u200dstatus to conduct voter registration and \u200cget-out-the-vote campaigns that favor Democrat-leaning voters.<\/li>\n<li>Ken Cuccinelli, chair of\u200d the Election Transparency Initiative, criticized Shapiro&#8217;s \u200dadoption of AVR, stating that it undermines election integrity and threatens the trust of voters in fair and transparent elections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cuccinelli called on the Republican-controlled Senate\u200b to \u200blaunch\u200c a comprehensive investigation\u200d into\u2063 the matter.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200d How \u200ddoes \u2064the use of executive action to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvanias-switch-to-automatic-voter-registration-is-inconsistent-with-state-law-election-experts-say\/\" title=\"Election experts claim Pennsylvania's automatic voter registration switch contradicts state law.\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-dems-pass-massive-voting-rights-bill-conservatives-claim-it-will-chill-speech-demolish-election-integrity\/\" title=\"House Dems Pass Massive\u00a0\u2018Voting Rights\u2019 Bill; Conservatives Claim It Will Chill Speech, Demolish\u00a0Election Integrity\">implement automatic voter registration<\/a> bypass<\/a> the principles \u200bof\u200d checks \u2063and balances\u2063 and undermine the role of\u2064 the state legislature in making important decisions that impact citizens&#8217; rights<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ted with the applicant&#8217;s signature under \u200dpenalty of perjury.<\/li>\n<li>The automatic voter registration process \u2064implemented by PennDOT does not require an applicant&#8217;s signature, raising concerns about the accuracy and validity of the voter registration information.<\/li>\n<li>Furthermore, the Constitution of Pennsylvania\u200d clearly states that &#8220;all elections shall be free and\u200c equal,&#8221; and that\u200d &#8220;laws shall be made\u200d to \u200dguard \u200dagainst \u2062improper influences \u2062from power, \u2064and \u2062the independence of the \u200cjudiciary \u2064shall\u200b be maintained.&#8221; Critics argue that Shapiro&#8217;s decision \u2062to implement AVR without proper legislative approval may undermine the integrity \u2064and fairness of the electoral process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Checks \u200cand Balances<\/h3>\n<p>Proponents of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/battleground-pennsylvania-ushers-in-automatic-voter-registration-ahead-of-2024\/\" title=\"Pennsylvania introduces automatic voter registration for 2024.\">automatic voter registration argue<\/a> that it increases\u2064 voter participation and makes the process more efficient. However, critics assert that implementing AVR\u2062 through\u200b executive action bypasses the proper legislative channels and \u200cundermines the principles\u200d of checks and balances.<\/p>\n<p>In a democratic system, decisions regarding the electoral process should be made through\u200b an open and transparent legislative process. By unilaterally implementing AVR, Gov. Shapiro is bypassing the democratic process and circumventing\u2062 the role of the state legislature in making \u200cimportant decisions that impact the rights of citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the use of executive fiat to\u200c implement AVR raises concerns about potential abuse of power. The separation\u200c of powers is a fundamental principle that ensures checks and balances in government, preventing any one branch from \u2064becoming too powerful.\u2062 By sidestepping the state legislature, Gov. Shapiro may be overstepping the boundaries of his authority and infringing upon the responsibilities of the legislative branch.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>While automatic voter registration\u200c may have its merits in increasing\u200d voter participation and streamlining \u2062the registration process,\u200d it is crucial that the implementation of such measures complies with existing laws and respects the principles of constitutional governance.<\/p>\n<p>Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro&#8217;s decision \u200dto\u200d unilaterally implement automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania raises valid concerns about potential violations\u200d of the Constitution and state law. It is imperative that decisions \u2064regarding the electoral process be made through the proper legislative \u2064channels, ensuring\u200d transparency, accountability, and adherence to democratic principles.<\/p>\n<p>If\u200b automatic voter registration\u200d is to be implemented, it should be \u2063done so with the approval of the state legislature and with safeguards in\u200b place to prevent abuse \u2063of power and ensure the accuracy and\u200b validity of the\u2064 voter registration \u2064information.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to\u2063 increase voter participation should not come at the expense of upholding the rule \u200bof law and the integrity of \u2064the electoral process. The\u2064 concerns raised by legal\u200b experts and critics highlight the\u2063 need for a careful and considered approach to implementing automatic voter registration, grounded in adherence to the Constitution and respect for the democratic process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several election experts have stated that Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro&#8217;s move to unilaterally implement automatic voter registration (AVR) in Pennsylvania may violate the Constitution and state law. Shapiro recently announced that Pennsylvania would adopt AVR through its Department of Transportation, joining more than 20 other states.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2038855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2038854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2038854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2038855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2038854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2038854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2038854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}