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Pennsylvania Republicans propose voter ID law and mail voting rollback

The bill is being pushed by the same legislators who sought to undermine the state's results in the 2020 election.
Image: Voters Head To The Polls On Last Day Of Early Voting In Key Battle Ground State Of Pennsylvania
A woman deposits her ballot in an official drop box outside Philadelphia City Hall on Oct. 27.Mark Makela / Getty Images file

Pennsylvania Republicans proposed legislation Thursday that would add voter ID requirements and roll back mail voting in the state's elections.

The bill faces a difficult path to passage: Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who would have to sign the bill for it to be enacted, said Wednesday that he would oppose such restrictions.

The legislation is being pushed by Republicans who sought to undermine the results of the election last year, publicly urging Congress not to certify the state's election results on Jan. 6.

House Bill 1300 would require voters to show photo ID at the polls and eliminate the mail voting list that sends certain voters their ballots ahead of each election. It would also require Pennsylvanians to register to vote 30 days before elections, instead of 15.

The bill's lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Seth Grove, organized and signed a letter in December urging Pennsylvania's congressional delegation to object to certifying Pennsylvania's 2020 results. Joe Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes.

Since the election, House Republicans have hosted months of hearings about election processes and voter fraud, despite broad evidence that there is no widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections.

Republican House Speaker Bryan Cutler championed the bill in a news release. Cutler also signed the December letter, and he was reported to have been urged in phone calls by former President Donald Trump to "fix" issues in the state's election last year.

"Pennsylvanians must have faith in their elections, and this bill is another piece of restoring the public's trust," Cutler said in the release.

Trump's stolen election lie has inspired legislation across the country as Republican lawmakers introduce or advance hundreds of restrictive election bills that would make it harder to vote. At least 22 bills have been enacted, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, which has been tracking voting legislation.

The Pennsylvania bill also includes a number of voting expansions, most of them likely to be aimed at winning the support of the governor. Republicans do not have veto-proof majorities in the Legislature.

The expansive provisions of the bill include creating five days of early in-person voting starting in 2025 and allowing drop boxes.