The Pennsylvania House passed legislation on Tuesday aimed at “establishing clear timelines” for resolving post-election legal disputes and preventing delays in finalizing the state's electoral votes.
The bill, known as HB 2473, seeks to align Pennsylvania’s election certification process with the federal Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which mandates states certify presidential electors by December 11.
State Rep. Benjamin Sanchez (D., Montgomery), the bill's prime sponsor, emphasized the importance of this legislation, stating, “This gap poses a significant risk of missing the federally mandated deadlines for certifying presidential election results. Our goal with HB 2473 is to mitigate this risk and guarantee Pennsylvania’s voice is heard and respected when Congress counts the state’s electors.”
In the 2020 election, the Trump campaign used ambiguities in the U.S. Electoral Count Act to challenge Pennsylvania’s “results”. Without state-specific deadlines, Pennsylvania risks falling out of compliance with federal requirements, potentially leading to judicial intervention.
The bill addresses potential delays by mandating that courts resolve election-related appeals within seven days. It also stipulates that any challenges to a county board of elections' decisions must be resolved expeditiously, ensuring the state meets the certification deadline.
Additionally, the bill sets requirements for the Department of State, requiring the secretary of the commonwealth to certify election results by the fifth Tuesday after the election, aligning with the federal deadline. This move aims to streamline the process and avoid delays seen in past elections, such as the 2022 midterms, where certification was delayed until December 22.
State Rep. Seth Grove (R., York), a co-sponsor of the bill, praised the legislation as a step towards creating a comprehensive election timeline that includes the judiciary, counties, and state officials. However, Grove noted that judges sometimes hesitate to enforce legislative deadlines.
The bill passed the House with a vote of 105 to 97 and now moves to the Republican-controlled state Senate, where its future remains uncertain. With the state budget still unfinished past the June 30 deadline, it is unclear when the legislature will address this bill.
