PA Facing Delay In 2022 Primary Elections

Pennsylvania's 2022 Primary Election, may face a Delay, if Governor Tom Wolf (D), and State Lawmakers, are Unable to Agree on a New Congressional District Map soon. Meanwhile, a Group of 16 Voters, asked the State Supreme Court, to get Involved and be ready to Pick a New Map, so that the Districts are set by Key Deadlines.

Pennsylvania's Primary Election is scheduled to take place on May 17, but the State's Top Election Pfficial, Acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid, is asking for a Final Map well in Advance.

The Group of Voters, on Monday, drew an Order from a Lower State Court, that gave the Governor and the Republican-controlled State Legislature until January 30, to Finalize Districts.

If they Fail to meet the Deadline, that Court said it will Pick a New Map from Submissions. The Voter Group, fearing an Election Delay and Noting that Degraffenreid said that her Agency needs a Final Map, a full week, before the Lower Court's Deadline, asked Pennsylvania's Supreme Court for an Earlier Date, on Tuesday.

In a Letter, Degraffenreid said the current Schedule for the Legislative Reapportionment Commission to Redraw a Map of Legislative Districts will Not work with the Primary Deadlines. Her Agency needs, the New Map of Districts, by January 24, Three Weeks before Petitions can be Circulated so that Counties can Update Voter Registration Files to Assign Voters to the Redrawn Districts, She wrote.

"In short, it will not be possible to comply with the constitutionally mandated timeline for the finalization of the reapportionment plan, and the current statutorily established deadlines for the beginning of (the) petition circulation period and other subsequent deadlines leading up to the primary," Degraffenreid wrote.

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission is Composed of the Two Parties' Floor Leaders in the House and Senate, and a Fifth Member, the Chair, Selected by the State Supreme Court.

Senate Republicans have warned, for nearly a year, that Delays in Census Data might require the May 17 Primary Date, Delayed.

Senate Majority Leader, Kim Ward (R-39th District), said in a Text Message Wednesday, that She would Support having a Later Primary "only as a last resort."

Degraffenreid's Letter, comes less than a week, after the Commission produced Preliminary Maps for the General Assembly.

People have until January 18 to File Objections to the Proposed Maps. Objections go to the State Supreme Court, but that could further Delay the Process, Degraffenreid warned.

As the Pandemic was spreading throughout the Country, in March 2020, Pennsylvania Lawmakers Voted to Delay that year's Presidential Primary by Five Weeks, from April 28 to June 2.










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