As the November 5 general election fast approaches, there's a push for more voter education in the Keystone State.

It's National Voter Registration Day, and more than 8.7 million Pennsylvanians may participate in the general election.

Amy Widestrom - executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania - said it's important that you register to vote before the deadline, to make sure your voice will be heard.

"You have to be registered to vote by October 21, in order to vote in the general election on November 5," said Widestrom. "If you're not registered by the 21st, you can't vote. If you want to request a mail-in ballot, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 29."

Widestrom recommended double-checking your registration status to make sure it's correct. This can be done on the Pennsylvania Department of State's website or on VOTE411.org.

Widestrom added that voter participation is particularly important, since the choices will ultimately affect issues from health care to education.

Widestrom pointed out media reports of early voting in Pennsylvania starting Monday have caused confusion.

She explained that the Keystone State Act 77 says early voting can start 50 days prior to the general election - but early voting means actually dropping off mail-in ballots in person, at county election offices.

And at this point, the ballots are not yet ready for voters.

"In the state of Pennsylvania, we are currently waiting for a couple of pieces of litigation, court cases to be settled, before mail-in ballots - and indeed, in-person ballots - can be finalized," said Widestrom. "So, there are some third-party candidates that are suing to be on the ballot, and until those court cases are settled, the ballots can't be finalized."

For anyone who will be voting by mail, Widestrom emphasized the importance of writing the correct date on the ballot - meaning the date they filled out the ballot.

She noted that the League has been involved with court cases about dates on mail-in ballots - and last week's Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling risks disenfranchisement for thousands of voters in this swing state.

"At this point, across the state, incorrect dates on mail-in ballots can be used to disqualify a mail-in ballot," said Widestrom. "We continue to say that is not material to the act of voting, and this is something that needs to be addressed."

In the meantime, she said the League has numerous events and resources, including local forums, tabling events and online information sessions. These can all be found online at PALWV.org.

A new lawsuit is challenging Maryland's closed primary system. If the lawsuit is successful, nearly a million Marylanders may be able to vote in upcoming primaries.

Unaffiliated voters signed up as neither a Republican nor Democrat when they registered to vote, but in Maryland, that means they can't vote in primary elections.

Jeremy Gruber, senior vice president of the Open Primaries Education Fund and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said states must expand primary election access to independents because the vast majority of general elections aren't competitive.

"This lawsuit is meant to address a situation where publicly funded and administered elections - which primaries are - are shutting out American citizens," he said. "We cannot continue to call ourselves a democracy when we allow that to continue to happen."

Supporters of closed primaries argue the system makes sure only dedicated members of a political party vote for a nominee, and they also prevent efforts from an opposing party trying to influence another party's nomination process. Maryland is one of 15 states with closed primaries.

In recent years, Colorado, Alaska and New Mexico have all changed their primary process. Gruber argued that if the government is going to run primary elections, then it must ensure all people are allowed to participate. He said closed primary systems are a voting-rights issue.

"Maryland is well behind the rest of the country in recognizing and empowering independent voters," he said. "This is a voting-rights issue that has to be addressed in Maryland. When a million voters can't vote, that is a crisis."

In 2024, 17.6 million voters were barred from voting in primaries because of their unaffiliated or independent status on voter rolls. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, average voter turnout was nearly 20% higher in open primary states compared with closed primary states.


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The weekend assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman is seen by many as a setback in recruiting future civic leaders who seek out bipartisanship.

One organization doing this work said it is still possible. Hortman was often credited for a being a fierce advocate for causes aligned with her supporters but also for striking compromises serving as House Speaker in the State Legislature.

Jake Loesch, executive director of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Citizens League, said training people how to work with elected officials from the "other side" is a key part of their programming. He acknowledged it might be hard for the public to see but there are moments where good faith bargaining wins the day.

"There are always good, bipartisan things that come out of any legislative session here in Minnesota," Loesch pointed out. "I think unfortunately, that doesn't always attract the news headlines."

Loesch's organization has a new program prompting state lawmakers to visit legislators from another party in their home community. He explained it makes it easier for them to see each other as humans, not the enemy. Loesch admitted the political system is still built around a "winner take all" approach, which often rewards partisan fights.

Loesch added if lawmakers can learn more about each other's backgrounds, a better understanding could hopefully rub off on voters and diminish the thirst for hateful rhetoric. He cautioned progress will not happen right away.

"We didn't get here overnight and it's going to take a long time to find a better level of collaboration and political understanding, and to stop attacking the other," Loesch emphasized. "There are lots of forces working against that."

He cited the overlap with social media as one such force. Meanwhile, political researchers noted besides Minnesota and a handful of other states, most legislatures in the U.S. have one-party control -- some since the mid-1990s -- making it difficult for lawmakers to gain compromise skills.


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Minnesota and the nation are feeling the emotional weight of political violence after this weekend's assassination of a top Democratic state lawmaker and the attack of a fellow legislator.

Rep. Melissa Hortman, D-Brooklyn Park, who had served as Minnesota House Speaker, was killed inside her home along with her husband. In the nearby suburb of Champlin, Sen. John Hoffman, D-Champlin, and his wife were also shot and wounded. Police call the shootings "politically motivated."

The incidents follow a trend of political violence beginning with this spring's arson attack at the Pennsylvania Governor's mansion.

David Schultz, professor of political science at Hamline University, said the current mood somewhat mirrors the violence toward prominent leaders seen in the 1960s.

"Once violence starts to occur, people get used to violence or it becomes part of the game," Schultz explained. "That seems to be where we're degenerating right now."

The events follow last year's assassination attempt on President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, along with increased threats against poll workers. Schultz noted in a healthy democracy, ballots, elections and other engagement tools resolve differences, not violence. He worries the attacks will discourage elected officials from talking with constituents and curtail open meetings.

Schultz pointed out society has grown used to a more isolated way of life, pointing to shopping habits and some people choosing to live in areas cut off from those with different views. Making matters worse, he added, political messages spread through social media fuel misinformation and radicalization.

"Falsity travels more rapidly, more deeply than truth," Schultz observed. "The relative anonymity or distance of the social media also emboldens people to radicalize. Put all that altogether, that gets us part of the recipe of where we are in our society right now."

Schultz added he is not optimistic heightened tensions and political violence will end anytime soon. He said there are some encouraging signs younger voters will not embrace identity politics and demonize their political opponents, but he believes the patterns have shifted, delaying a return to a moderate political tone.


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