September 19, 2016
Gov. Tom Wolf's ambitious goal to make government work better for Pennsylvania residents could have a big impact on the upcoming election.
Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortés announced on Monday that 500,000 state residents have taken advantage of the state's online voter registration program.
“This accomplishment is a testament to the importance and popularity of lowering barriers to participation in the electoral process and, generally, making more government services accessible to people online,” Wolf said.
The effort was launched in August 2015 to allow eligible voters the ability to check registration statuses, locate polling places, update addresses and change party affiliations.
“Whether registering for the first time or updating their registrations, Pennsylvania voters are embracing the ease and efficiency of online voter registration,” Cortés said. “Applying for a voter registration online brings convenience and accessibility to the process, just as it does for banking, shopping and other transactions.”
State officials said that approximately 58 percent of users — or 290,000 people — registered to vote for the first time.
That number could grow as eligible voters have until Oct. 11 to register for the Nov. 8 election.
Earlier this month, the state rolled out its "Send a Text, Register 2 Vote" program, which allows users to receive a link to the voter registration application simply by sending a text via a smartphone.
In the latest Quinnipiac University poll, published Sept. 8, Hillary Clinton holds a five-point lead, 48 percent to 43 percent, over Donald Trump among likely voters in Pennsylvania.
For more information on the state's online voter registration, click here.
