Taxpayers spent nearly $1 million filling legislative vacancies

Trying to fill open seats in Pennsylvania General Assembly this legislative session has been an expensive proposition.

Nine special elections have cost Pennsylvania taxpayers nearly $1 million since the start of the twoyear legislative session that began Jan. 1, 2023.

Running special elections to fill mid-term vacancies is a cost that counties pass on to the Department of State to pay.

Five vacancies occurred because lawmakers ran for another office in the middle of their term or hedged their bets by having their name appear on the ballot for the seat they currently held while simultaneously pursuing a different office. Other vacancies were the result of death, a sexual harassment scandal, taking a higher-paying legislative staff position and for personal reasons.

In 2015-16 there were 13 legislative vacancies, the most since 2000. Some of those cases were the result of criminal charges that forced lawmakers to resign.

Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Philadelphia, has introduced legislation to modernize the special election process, with an eye toward reducing costs and increasing voter participation, regardless of why a special election needs to be held.

“In a time when we need to bolster our democracy, having such low voter turnout is a clarion call for innovation and investment in civic engagement that has to be done from a systemic approach,” Rabb said. “The structure of how we do special elections in this state is arcane and anti-democratic.”

His bill, which awaits action in the House State Government Committee, would also require all special elections be held via mail-in voting only. Committee Chairwoman Carol Hill-Evans called that idea “very interesting. We’ll take a look at it and see where it goes.”

‘It’s their fault’

A separate provision would require an elected official who vacates their seat because of a felony conviction to pick up a portion of the cost of the special election held to fill that post.

“It’s their fault we’re having a special election,” Rabb said. “They should pay into that because who is paying for it now? We are, the taxpayers.”

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, half of the states handle vacancies in legislative offices through special elections, while the other half uses an appointment process by the political party of the lawmaker vacating their seat.

Rabb’s special election modernization bill also would require that special elections be held on primary or municipal election dates unless a seat becomes vacant more than 90 days before the next election and allows for electronic signatures on a candidate’s nominating petition.

Lowering costs and increasing participation — which typically falls in the low 20% range for special elections held on days outside of primary or general election days — are among Rabbs’ goals with the legislation.

“A million dollars,” said Rabb, about the special election costs over the past year. “It’s absurd.”