Pennsylvania Sees Significant Drop in Provisional Ballot Rejection Rates After Envelope Redesign.
A recent survey has revealed that the introduction of redesigned envelopes for provisional ballots in 2025 resulted in a notable decrease in rejection rates, with 85% of counties reporting a reduction of 11.3% in such instances.
The new design, which became mandatory across 85% of the state's counties, clearly marks the fields for voters and election workers, while also highlighting where voter signatures are required. This change has led to an improvement from a 4.96% rejection rate last year to a 4.4% rate in this current year.
However, it is worth noting that nine counties did not adopt the new design and Chester County experienced issues with printing due to omitted third-party and independent voters from pollbooks in November.
The state's Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt attributed the improved results to the redesign, stating that "our goal remains ensuring every registered voter can cast their vote and have it counted in every election." This statement echoes the success of a similar initiative two years ago when mail ballot materials were redesigned, leading to increased voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election.
Some counties worked closely with state officials to create user-friendly envelopes for both voters and poll workers. Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir emphasized that thoughtful design can significantly reduce errors and increase votes counted, citing an 11% decrease in rejection rates as a testament to this impact.
On the other hand, nine counties opted out of the new design, including Bedford, Bradford, Crawford, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Monroe, and Wyoming.
A recent survey has revealed that the introduction of redesigned envelopes for provisional ballots in 2025 resulted in a notable decrease in rejection rates, with 85% of counties reporting a reduction of 11.3% in such instances.
The new design, which became mandatory across 85% of the state's counties, clearly marks the fields for voters and election workers, while also highlighting where voter signatures are required. This change has led to an improvement from a 4.96% rejection rate last year to a 4.4% rate in this current year.
However, it is worth noting that nine counties did not adopt the new design and Chester County experienced issues with printing due to omitted third-party and independent voters from pollbooks in November.
The state's Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt attributed the improved results to the redesign, stating that "our goal remains ensuring every registered voter can cast their vote and have it counted in every election." This statement echoes the success of a similar initiative two years ago when mail ballot materials were redesigned, leading to increased voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election.
Some counties worked closely with state officials to create user-friendly envelopes for both voters and poll workers. Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir emphasized that thoughtful design can significantly reduce errors and increase votes counted, citing an 11% decrease in rejection rates as a testament to this impact.
On the other hand, nine counties opted out of the new design, including Bedford, Bradford, Crawford, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Monroe, and Wyoming.
& yay for counties who worked together with state officials to make it happen 
now lets hope all those counties who didnt wanna adapt get their act together next time around 
. Like, it makes total sense that clear labels on those envelopes would reduce the number of rejected ballots. It's just basic common sense, right? And the fact that 85% of counties saw a 11.3% drop in rejection rates is pretty impressive 
. I'm glad to see the state taking steps to make voting easier and less frustrating for voters. But, at the same time, it's a bit concerning that some counties didn't bother with the redesign 
. Maybe they just weren't willing to put in the extra effort or maybe they had some technical issues 
. Either way, I'm glad we're seeing improvements like this in voting processes 
.
! I think it's awesome that Pennsylvania is making changes to their provisional ballot system. The fact that 85% of counties have seen a reduction in rejection rates is super encouraging 
. It just goes to show that with a few tweaks, we can make our voting process more efficient and inclusive.
! 85% reduction in provisional ballot rejection rates? that's crazy 
seriously though, this is huge for voter turnout and making sure everyone gets their vote counted. the fact that counties that didn't switch over saw a bigger increase in rejection rates is pretty telling too. maybe next they should redesign some of those voting machines to make it easier for people to cast their ballots 
. The redesign has clearly helped to mitigate issues related to voter signature requirements 
, which often lead to provisional ballot rejections 
. By providing a clearer guide for voters and poll workers, we can reduce errors and increase votes counted 
. It's interesting to note that the counties that adopted the new design worked closely with state officials, resulting in a more streamlined process for voters 
. However, I do wonder what contributed to the issues experienced by nine counties that opted out of the redesign 
.
4.96% last year vs 4.4% this year is still pretty high tho, but its a start 
their efforts should make voting more accessible for everyone 
. It's amazing how a small change can make such a big impact on voter turnout. I mean, who doesn't want to make sure their vote is counted? 
The stats are pretty impressive, especially with 85% of counties seeing a reduction in rejection rates. That's what I call progress! 
. But seriously, 85% of counties with the new design already saw a significant drop in rejection rates? That's pretty cool, I guess. And the fact that some counties didn't adopt it and had issues with printing? Yeah, that's not exactly surprising... but still, at least they're trying to make voting more efficient 
. And can we just say thanks to Al Schmidt for not actually screwing up this time?