Record Number Of Pennsylvanians Have Filed To Register To Vote As Monday Deadline Looms
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The deadline for voter registration in Pennsylvania is Monday. Record levels of people have filed their paperwork, according to the Department of State.
"We want people to understand what it is to be an active citizen, to get involved in their neighborhoods, involved in their workplaces, etc. to really actuate change," said Megan Smith with Better Civics.
Getting Philadelphians involved even when it's not an election year is what the non-partisan group Better Civics is hoping to accomplish.
The group is headlining the online fundraiser "Good Things Happen in Philadelphia." It comes as Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline is approaching.
The secretary of state reported Friday that over 8.9 million Pennsylvanians are now registered to vote.
"With everything that has happened over the last how many months it's no surprise that people are like we need to make our voices heard. This is really not a surprise," Smith said.
Over 200,000 more Pennsylvanians are registered to vote for this election compared to the 2016 presidential election. And with the pandemic, organizations are working to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote can actually vote.
"We have about 2.7 million people who've requested mail-in-ballots and there are critical steps that have to be followed to make sure those ballots are counted," said Pat Christmas with the Committee of Seventy.
Make sure the ovals on the ballot are completely filled with blue or black ink. Put the ballot in the secrecy envelope, sign and date the outer envelope, and return it on time.
"Get it back in time and the deadline as for as folks should be concerned is early, early, early. Not 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. No, now is the deadline for mail-in-ballots," Christmas said.
