HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Senate State Government Chairman Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) issued the following statement today regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s automatic voter registration scheme to be immediately implemented through PennDOT and without input from the General Assembly, which is unconstitutional:
“Honest, transparent and secure elections remain the cornerstone of our constitutional republic. Sadly, by unilaterally implementing automatic voter registration, Gov. Shapiro has once again demonstrated his ignorance of the entire electoral process and his inability to work with the legislature as required by the Pennsylvania Constitution.
“Circumventing the legislature – and the will of the people – is a blatant act of defiance against our constitutional republic. It bypasses the checks and balances that are in place to safeguard the interests of all citizens.
“The Pennsylvania Constitution makes it crystal clear that any time government is forcibly compelling the people to do something – in this case registering online to vote through PennDOT – the rule of law must be followed to the letter.
“The governor’s automatic voter registration scheme amounts to the rigging of the process to favor thoughtless and even accidental registration in the name of ‘democracy.’ Any laws made unilaterally through executive orders – without the full scrutiny and debate that this committee and the legislature are obligated to provide – are the work of tyrants.
“Our republic thrives when voters are committed and engaged. By making registering to vote a deliberate choice, we ensure that citizens take the time to educate themselves about the issues and candidates, which ultimately leads to a more informed electorate.
“Pre-checked registration accomplishes the opposite – it encourages people to sleepwalk their way into being registered, potentially without understanding the significance of their actions. It risks turning a solemn duty into a thoughtless action, exploiting the system to catch the unwitting, the uncertain and the unintentional, making a mockery of that solemn duty.
“This is precisely why it is so important to require everyone to show valid identification at the time of voting. Preserving the personal responsibility of registering to vote is not about making things harder; it’s about ensuring that the act itself carries the weight and importance it deserves.”
CONTACT: Ty McCauslin, Communications Director at 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.