Lawmaker proposes removing candidates' home counties from Pa. primary ballots [View all]

Rep. Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland) wants to encourage Pennsylvanians to vote for candidates based on their qualifications and policies, as opposed to regional ties, which can strongly influence statewide elections.

Cooper says she plans to introduce legislation to eliminate the requirement to list candidates’ home counties on primary ballots. She argues the change would eliminate divisive attitudes toward candidates based on geographical stereotypes.

Public opinion experts largely agree that details like county affiliations often have arbitrary influence over voters, whose next major decision may be in next year’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

But in practice, experts are wary that getting voters to look deeper into primary candidates may prove more difficult than removing county affiliation from ballots.



https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/lawmaker-proposes-removing-candidates-home-counties-from-pa-primary-ballots/