While it’s all but assured at this point that Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face off against each other next year in a rematch of their 2020 presidential battle, there is something happening in a crucial swing state that is more likely to benefit the former president.
Several Republicans and conservatives throughout the state of Pennsylvania were unhappy with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) when he implemented a new policy that automatically registers state residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or a state-issued ID card.
For instance, state Rep. Bryan Cutler, the GOP leader in the state House, complained that the policy was implemented outside of the proper legislative process.
“The governor is following the sad and misguided precedent set by his predecessor that recognizes our election laws need updating and modernized, but then disenfranchises the General Assembly from exercising its constitutional prerogative to make laws,” Cutler said earlier this month.
He added that the “unilateral action” taken ahead of contested off-year elections for county positions and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will lead voters “to continue to question the security and results of our system.”
In particular, Republicans were concerned that the measure implemented by Shapiro would benefit Democrats, which is why they say he implemented it.
He pushed back on that, saying, “I think what it’s doing is giving an advantage to our democracy. Your registration will not be verified. We don’t give a damn about what you think about the issues.”
In an interview, however, Charlie Gerow, a former GOP candidate for governor, argued that Republicans may be reacting too harshly. “I think Republicans can benefit from this,” he said. “I think perhaps we should step back and look at this as an opportunity and not a disadvantage.”
Turns out Gerow was correct, according to a report from the Washington Examiner.
Shapiro’s auto initiative has been open for just over a month, and already 3,194 Democrats, 4,052 independents, and a massive 7,657 Republicans have signed up.
To sum up, independents registered at a rate 1,000 votes higher than Democrats, and Republicans registered at a rate twice as high as Democrats.
State Senator Dan Laughlin, an Erie County Republican, said the data came from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, adding that he was optimistic about the trend.
The Pennsylvania State Department, meanwhile, reported on October 10 that the number of registered Democrats is 446,467 higher than the number of registered Republicans, taking into account both active and inactive voters.
Data report by PoliticsPA from July indicated that Democrats had a 480,000 vote advantage over Republicans across the commonwealth.
Laughlin speculated that voters may be responding negatively to President Joe Biden because of Republicans’ message.
“It’s important to me that voters are aware and supportive of our positions,” he said. “We as a party need to work on the issues that will make Pennsylvania a better place to live — it’s pretty simple when you really boil it down to that. We need to make Pennsylvania more competitive for business, we need to make our streets safe to walk, and we need a robust public education system.”
Since September 19, applicants for driver’s licenses have been directed to a page to register to vote via a screen prompt. The applicant has the option of registering at that time. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that the measure has been adopted by a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia.
In November, state residents will vote for a new Supreme Court justice, new judges to sit on the Commonwealth and Superior courts, and whether two appellate judges on the Superior court will get another term. Both parties are keeping a close eye on the results.
Municipal races, such as county executive, mayor, and school board seats, and ballot questions, will also be closely contested and serve as proving grounds for winning platforms and messages.
They will also reveal which voters are actively participating and how proficient Republicans have become at mail voting after ignoring it for two election cycles in a row.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
