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A House divided: Dueling speakers duke it out

Pick a Speaker: PA House Democrats say it’s Rep. Joanna McClinton because they won 102 of the body’s 203 seats last month. Republicans say outgoing Speaker Bryan Cutler still wields the gavel because three Democratic-won seats are recently vacant, giving the GOP a temporary 101-99 majority. Now, they’re fighting in court over who gets to call the special elections to fill those seats and when those elections will take place. Both McClinton and Cutler set Feb. 7 as the date to replace Rep. Tony DeLuca, who died shortly before the general election. McClinton also wants to replace soon-to-be U.S Rep. Summer Lee and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis on Feb. 7, but Cutler wants to hold off on those elections (which would officially flip the House) until May 16, the same day as the statewide primary.

Constitutional changes back in play? With a slim House majority, Republicans could have a limited opportunity to push through one or several of the proposed constitutional amendments that were passed by the Legislature in the last session, the most controversial of which would restrict abortion rights and allow the Legislature to more easily block executive regulations. If such an amendment were passed a second time, it’d head to the voters as a ballot question.

Election reform possible? Just maybe…

Once the dust settles in the PA House, it’s possible that meaningful election reform, including additional time to process mail-in ballots, could be within reach. Other oft-cited issues include clarity for drop-box rules, changing mail-in voter deadlines and eliminating the requirement that voters date their ballot-return envelopes (which are time-stamped upon arrival). And county election boards would also like to see the one-time state funding stream they received this year made recurring. The main takeaway, Spotlight PA reports in an article assessing election-reform possibilities, is that “neither party is going to get everything they want, but there’s room to cut some kind of deal.”

Another fix needed: State law allows just three voters in a precinct to request a recount if they suspect “fraud or error,” but doesn’t require evidence of it—a loophole has allowed an apparently coordinated effort that has gummed up election offices around PA and a raft of certification delays. The General Assembly should tighten this provision before it can be exploited in the 2024 presidential election.

What will voter-turnout trends mean for 2023?

In the immediate aftermath of the Nov. 8 election, news outlets reported that turnout in Philadelphia was solid (highest for a midterm since 1990 except for 2018) and around the state (a respectable 53%—up three points from 2018). But deeper analysis has found that turnout lagged in Latino and Hispanic areas and among young voters; Philly’s turnout decrease from 2018 was also the largest of any county in PA. This has implications not only for the 2024 presidential cycle but for major local races on the ballot in Philadelphia and across the commonwealth next year.

Every voice, every vote. Philly voters will choose a new mayor and City Council in 2023, and the more voters, the merrier. That’s why we're enthusiastic supporters of Every Voice, Every Vote, a citywide initiative to increase citizen awareness of and participation in the political process. As an Inquirer editorial decrying Philly’s lackluster turnout put it: “The American Experiment began in Philadelphia. The city should be leading the way to make sure every voice and every vote counts.”



And since in most counties the elections that actually matter are the primaries… We’ll continue to push to repeal closed primaries through our Ballot PA campaign. In a TribLive op-ed, Ballot PA chair David Thornburgh explains why PA’s million-plus independent voters need a voice in elections their taxes pay for.

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