Pennsylvania To Foot The Cost Of Stamps For Mail-In Ballots This November

HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA/AP) — Pennsylvania will foot the cost of postage for voters to mail in ballots in November's general election, officials said Friday, a move that Gov. Tom Wolf has made a priority as the coronavirus pandemic unexpectedly fueled high interest in voting by mail under a new state law.

The administration plans to use money from federal emergency coronavirus aid to foot the bill, which could run several million dollars to cover 55 cents for millions of ballots.

Wolf's top elections official, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, said paying for the postage is a way to make voting more accessible, safer and easier during the pandemic.

Under the plan, voters who apply for and receive a mail-in or absentee ballot in the mail will also get a postage-paid ballot-return envelope. Each county will have options on how to carry that out, whether using stamps, a metered machine or a business-reply mail account linked to the state's, Boockvar said.

The step by Wolf, a Democrat, comes as his administration and lawmakers discuss legislation to help counties deal with the expected avalanche of mailed-in ballots in a premier presidential battleground state.

Related Stories:

• 'We Are All Americans, We Should All Be Treated As Such': Some Voters Concerned About Changes Ahead Of Pa.'s Fast-Approaching Primary Election
• Pennsylvania Official Says 1.6 Million Applications For Mail-In And Absentee Ballots Have Been Submitted For Primary
• 'As Goes Pennsylvania, So Goes The Nation': Pittsburgh Region Getting Special Attention From Both Presidential Campaigns, Say National Party Chairs
• Gov. Wolf Urging Pennsylvanians To Apply For Mail-In Ballots For Upcoming Primary Election
• 'Voter Disenfranchisement': Drastic Reduction In Polling Places Could Mean Long Lines In Allegheny Co. On Election Day
• Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Governor's Office Boosting Efforts To Promote Primary Voting By Mail

"We thank Governor Wolf for taking this step to remove any barrier that residents may have to using the mail-in and absentee ballot. When we provided return postage for ballots during the primary, the process was even easier for people who wanted to vote in this manner. This step statewide ensures even greater access to all voting options for residents," said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in a press release.

Seventeen states cover postage for mail-in ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. It is also the subject of a push in statehouses and courts in several other states.

Polling places will be open for Election Day on November 3, 2020 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for those who wish to vote ion person.

(TM and © Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)