We the People Vote
note from editor:
This information is from public resources. I would encourage each and everyone to please do
your research on voting and or candidates running. It is every americans Right to choose who they believe is the option for their vote.
The voting information on local and national levels updates as we approach 2025 elections. I would encourage you to look on ballot pedia for the candidates on national levels for our state and federal below in addition to what we have listed.
Editors Note: We would highly encourage you to vote in person at your polling location. You can find your voting location above..
Many Resources on Voting Intergrity and Election Issues
Whos Running for Office in South West Pa?
May 20, 2025, is the Primary Election
Please keep in mind we may not list everyone running but there are multiple races going on for the primary this year 2025 that we believe the people should make that determination based upon what information the Candidates provide. Please look to
ballot pedia and research the candidates.
We also have provided a whos on the ballot button that takes you to the public election information on who is running and results that you can look at from the county website. Remember, you can also write in a candidate in, if the option is available of your choosing. That choice is yours to make.
Note: Both Patrick Fitch and Chris Simms are both republican candidates running for Court of Common pleas this year for the primary in Greene County PA. We leave it to you to decide based upon information the candidates are providing via social media or in person for the people to make that decison yourself. Please keep in mind to research before making a decision.
We are supporting Maria and Josh for the state races as they are both shown to have a clear and concise background in the constitution and Law in regards to their perspective races.
Next up from our candidate forum is Republican Judicial Candidate, Maria Battista! She is running against Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft for PA Superior Court. Here is Maria's website if you'd like more info about her: https://www.battistaforjudge.com/
*FYI, whoever wins in the primary on May 20th will be facing off against Washington County's own, Brandon Neuman as their Democrat challenger in November.
(Source: from Public FB posts)
DID YOU KNOW
Several countries have restricted or banned mail-in voting, particularly for residents living within their borders, often due to concerns about fraud or electoral integrity. Below is a list of countries that have either fully banned mail-in voting or significantly limited its use, based on available information:
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France: Mail-in voting was banned in 1975 due to instances of fraud, notably in Corsica, where postal ballots were stolen or misused. It remains prohibited for residents within France, though citizens abroad can vote by mail for certain elections, and proxy voting is allowed domestically.
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Mexico: In 1991, Mexico banned all absentee voting methods, including mail-in voting, to address widespread fraud and intimidation by the ruling party at the time. Since 2006, mail-in voting has been reintroduced but only for citizens living abroad, while residents within Mexico cannot vote by mail.
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Belgium: Mail-in voting is not permitted for residents within the country. While there’s no evidence of a specific "ban" in 2018 as sometimes claimed, Belgium has never widely adopted mail-in voting for domestic voters. Citizens abroad, however, can vote by mail, and proxy voting is allowed domestically.
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Italy: Residents within Italy cannot vote by mail, though Italians living abroad are permitted to do so. There’s no historical "ban" per se, but mail-in voting has not been implemented for domestic voters.
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Sweden: Mail-in voting is not allowed for residents within Sweden. Citizens abroad can vote by mail, but domestically, voting is facilitated through in-person methods like early voting and proxy voting.
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Japan: Mail-in voting is highly restricted and not available to most voters. It is limited to specific groups, such as those with disabilities who have special certificates, and is not an option for the general population living in the country.
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Russia: Mail-in voting is not permitted for either domestic or overseas voters. While a 2020 law allowed for the possibility of postal voting, it has not been implemented in practice.
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Brazil: Mail-in voting is not allowed for residents or citizens abroad. Voting is compulsory, and citizens abroad must vote in person at consulates or embassies, though limited online voting has been introduced in some cases.
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Chile: Mail-in voting is not permitted for any voters, whether residing in Chile or abroad. Citizens abroad must vote in person at consulates or embassies.
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Colombia: Neither residents nor citizens abroad can vote by mail. Colombians abroad can vote at consulates or embassies, and early voting is allowed domestically.
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Argentina: Mail-in voting is not permitted for residents or citizens abroad, who must vote in person at consulates or embassies. A one-time exception occurred in 2019 when voters could mail ballots.
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Morocco: Mail-in voting is not allowed, and citizens abroad cannot vote at all. Residents must vote in person at polling stations.
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Tunisia: Mail-in voting is not permitted. While citizens abroad can vote, they must do so in person at polling stations in embassies or consulates.
This list is not exhaustive, as voting laws vary widely and can change over time. Many countries, particularly in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, either ban mail-in voting for residents or restrict it heavily, often citing security concerns like vote-buying or fraud. However, some of these nations allow mail-in voting for citizens living abroad or offer alternatives like proxy or early in-person voting. Conversely, countries like Germany, the UK, and Switzerland permit mail-in voting for all voters, showing that policies differ significantly even among developed nations.
Machine voting typically refers to the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), direct-recording electronic (DRE) systems, optical scan systems, or internet voting to cast or count votes, as opposed to fully manual methods like hand-marked paper ballots counted by hand. Many countries use a mix of methods, and some have experimented with machine voting but discontinued it due to security, transparency, or cost concerns.
Estimating the Number
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Total Countries: There are 195 recognized sovereign countries in the world (193 UN member states plus Vatican City and Palestine, as of March 2025).
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Countries Using Machine Voting: According to data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and other sources, approximately 34 countries currently use some form of electronic voting (e-voting) at national or sub-national levels as of recent years. This includes countries like Brazil, India, the Philippines, and Estonia, which use EVMs or internet voting extensively, and others like the United States, where usage varies by region.
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Countries That Have Discontinued or Never Adopted: Several countries have tried machine voting and reverted to paper-based systems (e.g., Netherlands, Germany, Ireland) due to concerns over security or transparency. Many others, especially smaller or less resourced nations, have never adopted machine voting, relying instead on hand-counted paper ballots.
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Manual Voting Prevalence: The majority of countries still use paper ballots, often with centralized manual tallying, as it’s cost-effective and perceived as more transparent. Hand-counting is particularly common in parliamentary systems with simpler ballots (e.g., one contest per election).
Rough Calculation
If around 34 countries use machine voting, that leaves approximately 161 countries (195 - 34) that do not use it as a primary method at the national level. However, this number could vary:
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Some countries use optical scanners to count paper ballots (e.g., Canada, parts of the U.S.), which blurs the line between "machine" and "manual" voting.
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Data is incomplete for many nations, especially those with unstable political systems or limited election infrastructure.
Examples of Countries Without Machine Voting
Countries that likely do not use machine voting (based on available information and trends) include:
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Most of Europe (e.g., UK, Germany, France reverted to paper after trials).
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Many African nations (e.g., Kenya reverted after issues in 2013, though Namibia uses EVMs).
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Smaller or less technologically advanced countries (e.g., Mali, Niger, Belize).
Conclusion
A reasonable estimate is that around 150–160 countries do not use machine voting as their primary method for national elections, relying instead on hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots or minimal automation. This number is an approximation, as precise, current data for every country is not readily available, and practices evolve over time.
For a definitive count, further research into each country’s electoral system would be needed, but this estimate aligns with global trends favoring paper-based voting for its simplicity and verifiability.
SOURCE: GROK on X. Fact Checked by looking at each country on voting policies.
Historical Reference:
See our Constitutional Page for more. Article 1.
Your Rights
You have rights as a voter protected by both federal and Pennsylvania law.
It is illegal for any state or local government to discriminate against anyone by denying them the right to vote based on their:
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race,
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ethnicity,
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national origin, or
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membership in a language minority.
Your right to vote can only be challenged if a poll worker, poll watcher, or another voter says you do not live in the precinct or are not who you say you are.
It is illegal for any person or corporation to intimidate or coerce you to vote for or against a particular candidate or political issue.
There are also laws that:
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protect people in language minority groups from discrimination,
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ensure that people with a disability or the elderly can vote independently and privately, and
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establish rights for people who are in jail or who have been convicted of a crime.
You can report any problems with voter fraud or if elections are not conducted properly using an online form, or by contacting your location's election officials. A complaint filed with an online form will not change the results of an election.
Language rights
Under federal law, counties must provide election services and information in another language when the population of voting-age people who speak that language reaches a certain size. In any county, if you have limited English proficiency, you may choose someone to enter the voting booth with you to help you vote.
Pennsylvania provides voter registration forms in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese on the voter registration page.
Rights for voters with a disability
Under federal and Pennsylvania law, each polling place must have a voting system that is accessible to voters with a disability. If you cannot enter the voting booth or use the voting system due to a disability, you can select a person to enter the voting booth with you to provide help.
Rights for people in jail or with a felony or misdemeanor conviction
If you are a person with a felony or misdemeanor conviction, or are in jail, on probation or under house arrest, there is special information about registering and voting.
What are the voting rights laws?
Throughout history, the federal government has strengthened our voting rights and increased protections against unfair voting practices.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
This Act says that no state or local government may deny someone the right to vote based on their race or ethnicity. This law also protects against the discrimination of people in language minority groups. The federal government extended the Voting Rights Act in 1970, 1975, and 1982.
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)
To correct the problems encountered during the November 2000 Presidential Election, the United States Congress enacted the Help America Vote Act in October 2002. HAVA applies to all federal elections and has seven major requirements:
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Create standards for all voting systems used by the states.
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Require voting systems to be accessible to individuals with disabilities and those using alternative languages.
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Require the use of provisional ballots.
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Implement identification requirements for those who vote for the first time after registering by mail.
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Require states to implement a statewide voter registration database.
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Provide for a board to establish standards for what constitutes a vote.
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Require states to conduct educational programs for voters and election officials.
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984
This law requires United States polling places to be physically accessible to people with disabilities for all federal elections.
If no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, a county must provide an alternate means of casting a ballot on Election Day.