HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Department of State has unveiled new measures aimed at simplifying the mail voting process in an effort to reduce voter errors. The changes, which include updates to envelope language and formatting, are set to be implemented during the 2024 primary elections across all 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

The move comes after years of uncertainty regarding the handling of undated or incorrectly dated mail-in ballots. The goal is to address common mistakes made by voters that often lead to the disqualification of their votes. Even high-profile individuals, such as Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, have been found to have failed to date their mail ballots in past elections, according to the Philadelphia City Commissioners' preelection list of mail ballots with errors.

While rejected mail ballots make up only a small percentage of votes cast, accounting for approximately 3% of the 597,000 total mail ballots in the 2023 primary, small errors have the potential to nullify thousands of citizens' choices. In recent years, several Pennsylvania elections have been decided by slim margins. For instance, the 2022 Republican U.S. Senate primary saw Mehmet Oz emerge as the winner over Dave McCormick, garnering fewer than 1,000 votes statewide. Additionally, a township supervisors race in Montgomery County remains tied due to discrepancies in counting misdated ballots from the recent election.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt emphasized the need to mitigate technical mistakes made by voters when completing mail-in ballots, citing the experience of six elections with mail voting. The Department of State has collaborated with the Center for Civic Design, a Maryland-based nonprofit and the leading expert in accessible ballot design, to devise the new envelope changes. Multiple prototypes were tested with actual voters before finalizing the modifications.

The updated mail ballot envelopes will feature simpler language, shading to indicate the signature and date section, and a prefilled "20" to prompt voters to write in the current year. Counties will also have the option to change the color of the secrecy envelope and incorporate a watermark for easier differentiation. Furthermore, counties can mark mail ballot envelopes with a hole punch before sending them out to identify "naked" ballots without a secrecy envelope when they are returned.

Statistics from the Department of State reveal that in the 2023 primary election, about 47% of rejected mail ballots were discounted because they arrived after 8 p.m. on Election Day. Additionally, 20% of mail ballots were disqualified due to missing dates, 15% were not enclosed in a secrecy envelope, 8% had an incorrect date, and 5% lacked a signature.

The changes announced by the Pennsylvania Department of State are mandatory for all counties to implement. However, counties will retain the flexibility to adapt the guidelines to their specific requirements.

Last week, Pennsylvania took a step toward resolving long-standing issues regarding the handling of incorrectly dated ballots. A federal judge ruled that ballots without an accurately handwritten date on their envelopes should still be counted. While Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt expressed approval of the ruling, he anticipates further legal challenges regarding the handling of undated and incorrectly dated ballots leading up to the 2024 election.

Schmidt emphasized that every election director, irrespective of political leanings, is committed to enabling all eligible voters to cast their ballots. The aim of implementing these changes is to ensure a more seamless and error-free voting experience for the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Correction: In a previous version of this article, it was misstated how envelopes can be marked with a hole punch under the state's new recommendations. Counties may opt to mark all mail ballot envelopes with a hole punch before mailing them, allowing for easier identification of "naked" ballots that lack a secrecy envelope when returned to the county.