Pittsburgh, Pa. − January 28, 2026 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) announced today that she will introduce a package of legislation to strengthen, protect, and modernize Pennsylvania’s Election Code. This package includes targeted reforms designed to increase transparency, combat false information, and support the people who keep our elections secure.
“The right to vote is central to our democracy, which is why it’s under constant attack.” said Senator Williams. “Our county election divisions and neighborhood poll workers are dedicated public servants. But their jobs have become increasingly difficult as our election laws have failed to keep pace with the changing landscape and ongoing threats to fair and free elections. My legislation will give election officials more flexibility to count ballots faster, expand protections for voters and elections workers, and outline restrictions to safeguard election systems from tampering and unauthorized access. By implementing these reforms sought by counties and election experts, we can begin to restore faith in our elections.”
Specifically, Senator Williams’ package includes the following:
Allowing counties to process and pre-canvass mail in ballots before Election Day. Since the passage of Act 77 of 2019 amending Pennsylvania’s Election Code, counties have been asking for the ability to open and process mail in ballots prior to election day. Allowing counties to perform these strictly administrative functions before polls open will lead to improved accuracy and timely reporting of results, eliminating the opportunities for disinformation.
Protecting election workers from harassment, intimidation, and doxxing. Election workers are our neighbors, friends, and family members. They deserve to know that they are safe from threats while carrying out their duties. This legislation will provide criminal and civil penalties for intimidation or doxxing workers and officials and will set minimum safety and de-escalation training standards.
Increasing transparency and security requirements for voting machine vendors. There have been major shifts in the private companies who provide voting equipment to our counties, even as the federal agency charged with securing our elections has been effectively dismantled, and billionaires are buying unprecedented political influence. Taken together, these pressures pose a real threat to the future of our democracy.
This legislation will require disclosure of any ownership stake of 5% or more in companies providing voting systems to Pennsylvania. It will also require annual independent cybersecurity audits, state access to vendor information, and publication of non-sensitive audit summaries for public review.
Creating the “Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act” to protect voters from disinformation and harassment. This Act prohibits the dissemination of knowingly false information about the time, place, or manner of voting with the intent to discourage turnout. It also requires that voter registrations be turned into County Boards of Elections no more than two weeks after the registration form was completed.
“Transparency and information security are paramount to restoring faith in our elections,” said Senator Williams. “By giving our election workers and voters the accurate information they need to access the polls safely and securely, we can fight false information and rebuild public trust in our democracy.”
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