By: David G. Greineder, IOM, ABC Pennsylvania Director of Government Affairs
Will There Be An October Surprise?
If you follow politics, you might have heard the phrase, “October surprise.” This is political terminology to refer to a major news event – perhaps scandalous to some degree – that is aimed to influence the outcome of an election. With the popularity of early voting and mail-in voting, it will be interesting to see how much these stories will matter. It will also be interesting to see if strategists will re-evaluate the timing of how and when to “release” this kind of information. Who knows, maybe October surprises will turn into August surprises.
October surprise or not, the 2022 General Election is sure to be full of surprises. In Pennsylvania, all 203 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, along with 25 seats in the Senate (in even numbered districts). Voters will also elect a new governor, a U.S. Senator, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives across 17 congressional districts.
This election will have an impact on Pennsylvania’s future, including how the commonwealth responds to critical workforce needs. That is why ABC Pennsylvania believes it is important to educate our members on who is running for office so you and your employees can make good choices on who will represent your and their interests. As we did in the primary, we will issue a Voter Guide for our members to use and disseminate as they see fit.
When it comes to voting, if you know of an employee or family member who is unregistered to vote or just reached the voting age, please encourage them to register. To vote in Pennsylvania, all eligible voters must first register with the Department of State. Registrations must be submitted by Monday, October 24. First-time voters must show proof of identification at their polling location.
Mail-in voting is happening NOW. If a voter prefers to vote by mail and has yet to do so, encourage them to carefully read the information on the Department of State’s website. The last day to APPLY for a mail-in ballot is November 1. Mail-in ballots must be RECEIVED by the voter’s local board of election by 8:00 p.m. on November 8.
Information on registering, mail-in ballots, absentee ballots, polling places and more can be found at:
www.vote.pa.gov
If you are an employer and want information on how you can talk to your employees about the importance of voting, ABC National has guidance on the “do’s and don’ts” in an election cycle. Election laws are very complex, and we encourage utilization of these resources to learn more about appropriate communications with employees. The toolkit can be found at: www.abcvotes.com
Lastly, many employers offer time off for employees to vote. Some employers even offer the whole day off. We encourage these office policies so everyone can exercise their right to vote.
November 8 is the big day! Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about legislation or ABC’s positions on issues, please contact David Greineder, IOM, at davidg@abcpa.org.
If you are not signed-up to receive email alerts, please download the “ABC Action App” from the app store on your mobile device or at abc.org/abcaction.
Posted October 6, 2022
