Pennsylvania Democrat Introduces Bill to Require .gov URLs for Election Websites

Pennsylvania Democrat sponsors bill to require official .gov URLs for election websites

A Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is pushing for a bill that would mandate all county election offices in the state to have a website URL ending in .gov. This move aims to provide the public with clearer information on which election websites are official government sites and which are not.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery), was introduced in February, following concerns raised about Vote.pa, a Democratic-aligned website that registers voters but also harvests their personal data for political messaging purposes.

Vote.pa, described as a form of “typosquatting” by cybersecurity experts, closely mimics the official Department of State’s URL (vote.pa.gov). The site is owned by Commonwealth Communications, led by Democratic operative JJ Abbott, a former press secretary for Gov. Tom Wolf.

Despite not being an official government site, Vote.pa has been promoted by various elected Democrats, including U.S. Senator Bob Casey and state Senators Jay Costa and Judy Schwank. Governor Josh Shapiro has also endorsed the site in mailers urging voters to request mail-in ballots.

Rep. Webster’s bill seeks to address the confusion caused by unofficial election websites like Vote.pa. The .gov domain is reserved for qualified governmental entities, providing users with a trusted and secure source of information.

In a legislative memo, Webster emphasized the importance of maintaining .gov domains for election websites to prevent potential scams and misinformation. He highlighted the need for state and local agencies to adhere to this standard to protect residents from deceptive practices.

Experts have previously raised concerns about the lack of .gov domains for election websites in Pennsylvania, noting the risks posed by unofficial sites that could mislead voters or collect sensitive information. The FBI issued a warning in 2020 about suspicious websites masquerading as official election sites, emphasizing the need for vigilance when accessing online election resources.

As the debate over election website authenticity continues, Rep. Webster’s bill represents a proactive step towards ensuring transparency and security in Pennsylvania’s electoral process.