AFPI FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT
AFPI amicus seeks recognition of the Pennsylvania constitution in the Act 77 voting provision
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This evening, America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Constitutional Litigation Partnership (CLP) filed an Amicus Curiae in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. CLP’s brief, supported by AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity (CEI) Chair, the Honorable Ken Blackwell, supports the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s decision to strike down Act 77’s no-excuse absentee voting provision because it violates the Pennsylvania Constitution.
In its ruling, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania relied on well-established precedent that Article VII, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the physical presence of the elector, and to permit “[n]o-excuse mail-in voting” requires “a constitutional amendment to end the Article VII, Section 1 requirement of in-person voting.” Significantly, the Court recognized the public policy principle behind Article VII, Section 1’s in-person voting requirement is “to exclude disqualified pretenders and fraudulent voters of all sorts.”
CLP and the CEI filed this brief to ensure the security of future Pennsylvania elections and to restore confidence in the American electoral system. By affirming the lower Court’s decision, AFPI argues that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can uphold its state constitution and preserve the confidence of Pennsylvania voters by wiping away this unconstitutional legislation once and for all.
AFPI’s full Amicus brief can be read here.
Statement from The Honorable Pam Bondi, Chair of AFPI’s Constitutional Litigation Partnership:
“AFPI’s Constitutional Litigation Partnership is proud to support the Pennsylvania Commonwealth decision in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of our state electoral processes. As we put our Nation back on track, it is these battles that will ensure the integrity of our electoral system—it is these battles that will restore the public’s confidence in their constitutional right to participate in a free and fair election.”
Statement from The Honorable Ken Blackwell, Chair of AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity:
“AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity supports the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s ruling to strike down Act 77 that provided for no-excuse absentee voting. CEI’s research and policy analysis show people’s confidence in our electoral system continues to be shaken, and one reason has been the proliferation of no-excuse absentee ballot voting. Act 77 opened the door to greater opportunity for fraud, and it’s time that door is closed. Pennsylvanians deserve an election system they can trust, where it makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
About the America First Policy Institute:
AFPI is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, non-partisan research institute focused on advancing policies that put the American people first. AFPI is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by senior leaders from the Trump Administration: Linda McMahon, Chair of the Board, and former Administrator of the Small Business Administration; Larry Kudlow, Vice-Chair, former Director of the National Economic Council; and Brooke Rollins, President and CEO, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Chief White House Strategist. More information about AFPI and its 21 research centers can be found at www.americafirstpolicy.com.
In its ruling, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania relied on well-established precedent that Article VII, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the physical presence of the elector, and to permit “[n]o-excuse mail-in voting” requires “a constitutional amendment to end the Article VII, Section 1 requirement of in-person voting.” Significantly, the Court recognized the public policy principle behind Article VII, Section 1’s in-person voting requirement is “to exclude disqualified pretenders and fraudulent voters of all sorts.”
CLP and the CEI filed this brief to ensure the security of future Pennsylvania elections and to restore confidence in the American electoral system. By affirming the lower Court’s decision, AFPI argues that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can uphold its state constitution and preserve the confidence of Pennsylvania voters by wiping away this unconstitutional legislation once and for all.
AFPI’s full Amicus brief can be read here.
Statement from The Honorable Pam Bondi, Chair of AFPI’s Constitutional Litigation Partnership:
“AFPI’s Constitutional Litigation Partnership is proud to support the Pennsylvania Commonwealth decision in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of our state electoral processes. As we put our Nation back on track, it is these battles that will ensure the integrity of our electoral system—it is these battles that will restore the public’s confidence in their constitutional right to participate in a free and fair election.”
Statement from The Honorable Ken Blackwell, Chair of AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity:
“AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity supports the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s ruling to strike down Act 77 that provided for no-excuse absentee voting. CEI’s research and policy analysis show people’s confidence in our electoral system continues to be shaken, and one reason has been the proliferation of no-excuse absentee ballot voting. Act 77 opened the door to greater opportunity for fraud, and it’s time that door is closed. Pennsylvanians deserve an election system they can trust, where it makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
About the America First Policy Institute:
AFPI is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, non-partisan research institute focused on advancing policies that put the American people first. AFPI is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by senior leaders from the Trump Administration: Linda McMahon, Chair of the Board, and former Administrator of the Small Business Administration; Larry Kudlow, Vice-Chair, former Director of the National Economic Council; and Brooke Rollins, President and CEO, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Chief White House Strategist. More information about AFPI and its 21 research centers can be found at www.americafirstpolicy.com.
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