Act 77 of 2019 was a Pennsylvania law, enacted via Senate Bill 421 and signed on October 31, 2019—that introduced broad election reforms, most significantly allowing no‑excuse mail‑in voting for all qualified electors, eliminating the prior requirement to state a reason for voting absentee. It also extended voter registration deadlines, ended straight‑ticket voting, and required voting machines to have voter‑verifiable paper trails. ^[1]

Other notable provisions included:

• A 50‑day mail‑in voting period, letting voters request and submit ballots starting 50 days before Election Day—one of the longest periods nationally. ^[2]
• A permanent mail‑in/absentee ballot list option, where voters can opt in annually to receive ballot applications for all elections through the next February. ^[2]
• Registration deadline shortened to 15 days before an election (previously 30 days). ^[1]
• Straight‑ticket voting eliminated; voters must now select candidates individually. ^[1]
• The Commonwealth to fund up to 60% of counties’ costs for upgraded voting machines with paper audit capacity. ^[1]

The act took effect immediately with some exceptions.

Sponsor & Political Context

Act 77 passed under Republican leadership: all Senate Republicans voted for it (35–14), while most Democrats opposed. ^[3] It was later signed by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf.

1: Act No. 77 of 2019 (SB 421), enacted Oct. 31, 2019 — Pennsylvania Official Statutes 2: Pennsylvania Department of State guidance on Permanent Mail‑in Ballot Lists 3: Op-Ed: How Pennsylvania Democrats Hijacked Act 77