Dean Browning ran for election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 14 in 2022. He lost to Nick Miller by 6,084 votes. Dean realized he was beaten because Democrats went door knocking and got low-propensity voters who only voted once or twice in the last several years to fill out an application for mail-in voting. The Democrats then followed-up to ensure they mailed their ballot.
Learning from Democrat tactics, Dean helped start a grass-roots organization called Win Again to get low-propensity Republican voters to do mail-in voting. On Saturday, August 5, Dean presented his organization and ideas to a group of concerned York County, PA voter activists.
Dean and his associate Arnaud Armstrong said they don’t like mail-in voting and want to see it changed. Most attendees nodded in agreement. However, they said if Republicans don’t get out the low-propensity voters like Democrats do, there will never be a majority in Harrisburg to eliminate mail-in voting. Dean said the chance to eliminate mail-in voting can’t happen until 2027, and then only if Republicans win the House, keep the Seante, and win the governorship. Arnaud said he heard someone say, “We use mail-in ballots to get rid of mail-in ballots.” An attendee after the meeting noted in her door-knocking experience, “Many Republican voters of York County want to keep mail-in ballots. They say to me, ‘You’re not taking away my mail-in voting, are you?’ So, learning how to get more Republicans to use mail-in ballots may be the only way Republicans win local, statewide, and presidential elections.”
Dean explained that the ratio was 3:1 in November 2022 of Democrat over Republican mail-in votes. Republicans had more than a 150,000-vote disadvantage going in to election day, with many of those mail-in Democrat voters being those who rarely vote. He said this had a huge effect on county and local races being decided for Democrats by slim margins.
Arnaud and Dean explained how to talk to Republicans who rarely vote. “Explain the problem,” Arnaud said. “Don’t ask them if they’ll do a mail-in ballot. Ask them, ‘Can we count on you to vote by mail?’” If yes, the door knocker can help the voter register online by emailing RA-VOTERREG@PA.GOV, register online at VOTE.PA.GOV, call the State registration office at 1-(877) VOTESPA, or hand the voter a PA Application for Mail-In Ballot form.
“To submit the application,” Dean said, “the voters only needs to fill out their date of birth, PA driver’s license or PennDOT ID card number or last four digits of their Social Security number, then sign the form.” He said although ballot harvesting is illegal in PA, harvesting Applications for Mail-In Ballot forms isn’t illegal. The door knockers can have the voter fill out the three items on the form while they wait; the door knocker can fill out the other information and submit the form.
Arnaud said mail-in ballots may be good for everyone to use. Since 2023 is an off-year election, many voters don’t vote. “However, the elections this fall are important because they’re for school boards, judges, and County commissioners.” Those who voted by mail in 2022 should be contacted to vote by mail again. Arnaud added, “Everyone should consider mail-in voting. On election day, Democrats can ensure Republicans run out of ballots, have a sewer break, or a machine break down.”
Arnaud and Dean talked about how to answer objections to mail-in balloting. “If a voter says, ‘I don’t trust mail-in voting,’ tell them they can track it online,” Arnaud said. “If they say they want to vote in person, tell them they can do that at the County Board of Elections or Voter Registration office. Tell them you want to vote early, and they’ll give you a ballot. Fill it out there and hand it in.” This can be done around the beginning of October due to Act 77. Some voters may worry they may change their mind and want to vote on election day. “Tell them they can take their mail-in ballot to their polling place, turn it in, and get a regular ballot to vote.” Others may worry about losing their mail-in ballot. “Tell them to go to their polling place. They’ll be given a Provisional Ballot, and they can vote. The County elections office will check to ensure the mail-in ballot wasn’t submitted.” The Provisional Ballot will count.
Arnaud said as a selling point to potential mail-in voters, if they want to research candidates, all of their names will be on the ballot they will receive weeks before election day. Arnaud and Dean presented a slide stating “The Facts” about Mail-in balloting. “It’s easier; you can track your ballot online; you can still vote in person; and it helps us win.” Their brochure says promoting mail-in balloting increases Republican turnout and gives Republicans more time to turn out voters.
Arnaud and Dean said they’re using an online app called Numinar to tell door knockers who is a low-propensity voter, which also includes a survey to ask the infrequent voter.
An attendee cautioned at the end of the presentation, “If you don’t believe in mail-in balloting, don’t pretend you do; people will see right through that.”
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