It’s good to be in the majority.

Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton (D-Delaware/ Philadelphia) was able to get her omnibus election bill – The Voting Rights Protection Act – across the finish line on Tuesday afternoon, as House Bill 1396 passed along party lines, 102-101.

The legislation would improve the administration of the state’s elections while strengthening ballot access for Pennsylvania’s eligible voters.

“The Voting Rights Protection Act is a commonsense measure to improve the way Pennsylvania conducts elections,” McClinton said. “It will help our county election officials by removing existing ambiguities in the law and by allowing them to prepare mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day. It also accounts for changes in how voters want to cast their ballot by providing options for early voting, increased access to ballot drop boxes and by allowing them to correct minor errors on a mail-in ballot.”

The Voting Rights Protection Act of 2025 includes several notable provisions, including:

• Increasing the number of secure ballot drop boxes in each county.
• Making in-person voting available up to 11 days prior to an election.
• Requiring county boards of election to transition to electronic poll books by 2027.
• Creating a post-election audit process.
• Clarifying the law regarding absentee and mail-in ballots.

“Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy – and nothing is more central to our nation’s founding than the right to vote. However, it wasn’t too long ago when some Americans were still contending with discriminatory laws meant to prevent them from exercising their right. As our country approaches its 250th birthday, it is time for us to preserve and protect Pennsylvanians’ right to vote in free, fair and safe elections,” McClinton said.

“We applaud Speaker McClinton for her commitment to instituting much needed reforms to improve our democracy, especially by pushing relentlessly for an early in-person voting period where voters can cast ballots on the same machines they would use on election day,” said Salewa Ogunmefun, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Voice. “Voters across Pennsylvania clearly want an option that will make it more convenient to vote, and we appreciate her dedication to making it easier for Pennsylvanians to make their voices heard at the ballot box.”

Others voiced their support for the landmark legislation.

“The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania supports many of the provisions in HB1396 and we applaud lawmakers for taking meaningful steps toward expanding voting access and ensuring more Pennsylvanians can participate in our elections,” said Amy Widestrom, Executive Director, League of Women Voters Pennsylvania. “We encourage lawmakers to think about a measured timeline for implementing these reforms and, as always, we also urge the legislature to pair these reforms with robust funding and support for our county election offices, which are essential to implementing these reforms and administering free, fair, and accessible elections across the Commonwealth.”

“PA elections administration is out of date and in long need of reform,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija. “HB 1396 provides several critical fixes like early voting and pre-canvassing. These changes will make voting in Pennsylvania more accessible and easier for eligible voters.”

“Today’s passage of HB 1396 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives marks a historic step forward for election modernization in our Commonwealth,” said Angela Valvano, Executive Director of Better PA. “This comprehensive legislation will make voting more accessible while strengthening the security and efficiency of our election system.

“The reforms in HB 1396 are both practical and necessary. The bill’s provisions for early in-person voting, standardized ballot drop boxes, and electronic poll books will help election administrators better serve voters while reducing long lines and administrative burdens. I strongly urge the Senate to pass HB 1396 without delay and send it to Governor Shapiro’s desk. This is not a partisan issue – it’s about making our democracy work better for everyone.”

Not everyone was excited about the bill’s passage, including Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie), Republican chair of the House state Government Committee.

“I am very concerned with the permanent mail-in ballot list provision in the bill,” Roae added. “When people move out of Pennsylvania, their last known Pennsylvania address would indefinitely continue to get ballots every election, and the new occupants of the residences could fraudulently complete and mail back those ballots.

“Ballot harvesting is also in the bill since caregivers, such as those at residential facilities, could ‘help’ residents in their care fill out ballots, and the caregiver could legally take the ballots to a drop box.”

But The Voting Rights Protection Act doesn’t include one provision that will likely be politically important – a voter ID requirement, something that Republicans have always said was crucial to any election law deal.

State House leaders in both parties have lately said they are open to a voter ID requirement after years of partisan fights. The chamber even advanced a standalone bill – HB 771 – sponsored by two swing-district lawmakers, that would create a lenient voter ID requirement for all in-person voters.

However, a top House Democrat said that bill was pulled from this week’s voting calendar because some House Republicans weren’t going to vote for it. Given limited House Democratic support, the proposal would have been short of the 102 votes needed for final passage.

“This legislation is what Pennsylvania’s elections need to get up to speed in the 21st century while ensuring voters have more ways to access the ballot,” said All Voting is Local Pennsylvania State Director Deborah Hinchey. “House Bill 1396 would give our voters more of the options they want when it comes to casting their ballots. Voting early in person and having drop boxes in every county are popular voting options that Pennsylvanians deserve. This is a great example of an election bill where everyone wins, especially Pennsylvania voters.”

The bill now goes to the GOP-controlled Senate for its consideration.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.