Pennsylvania's 2nd Congressional District
A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.
This is the district view: events tagged to this congressional district, then events that apply across Pennsylvania, then national events. An event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district. See all of Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania's 2nd Congressional District
No events have been tagged to Pennsylvania's 2nd Congressional District yet. District events are added over time. The state and national events below also apply here.
Across Pennsylvania
2019
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Governor signs Act 77, creating no-excuse mail voting in Pennsylvania
The Joint State Government Commission reports that Senate Bill 421 was signed into law on October 31, 2019 as Act 77 (P.L. 552). It lets Pennsylvanians vote by mail up to 50 days before an election without an excuse, lets voters join a permanent mail ballot list, moves the registration deadline to 15 days before an election, ends straight-party voting and authorizes a $90 million bond to help counties buy voting systems with a paper trail. It passed the Senate 35 to 14 and the House 138 to 61.
Source last checked Oct 20, 2026
2018
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Supreme Court denies a stay of the Pennsylvania ruling on the congressional map
The Supreme Court docket for No. 17A909, an application by House and Senate leaders to stay the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order, shows the application was submitted to Justice Alito on February 27, 2018, referred to the Court on March 19, 2018, and denied that day.
Source last checked Oct 20, 2026
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders an end to use of the 2011 congressional plan
On January 22, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court entered a per curiam order deeming the 2011 Plan to "clearly, plainly and palpably violate[ ]" the state constitution and enjoining its further use, with a deadline of February 15, 2018 for a remedial plan. In its February 7, 2018 opinion the court held that the 2011 Plan violates Article I, Section 5, the Free and Equal Elections Clause.
Source last checked Oct 20, 2026
2014
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Commonwealth Court strikes down Pennsylvania's 2012 voter ID law
On January 17, 2014, Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley ruled that the centerpiece of the 2012 voter identification law, the photo ID requirement, "places an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote," according to the Associated Press quoted by NPR. NPR reported that the court had barred enforcement since shortly before the 2012 general election.
- Applewhite v. Commonwealth, No. 330 M.D. 2012 (Pa. Commw. Ct. Jan. 17, 2014), Memorandum Opinion by Judge McGinley, determination on declaratory relief and permanent injunction (copy posted by the Public Interest Law Center) ↗
- Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Struck Down ↗ News report, NPR
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
2012
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court sends the voter ID challenge back to Commonwealth Court for a closer look at how the law is being carried out
On September 18, 2012, in Applewhite v. Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated the Commonwealth Court's August 15, 2012 order denying a preliminary injunction against Act 18 of 2012 and returned the case. It wrote that "we are not satisfied with a mere predictive judgment based primarily on the assurances of government officials" and directed the lower court to assess the actual availability of alternate identification cards, adding that if it was "not still convinced" that no voter would be disenfranchised, "that court is obliged to enter a preliminary injunction." The Commonwealth Court was to file a supplemental opinion by October 2, 2012. Justice Todd and Justice McCaffery each filed dissenting statements.
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
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Pennsylvania enacts Act 18 of 2012, requiring photo identification to vote
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court cites the voter identification law as the "Act of Mar. 14, 2012, P.L. 195, No. 18." It wrote that the Voter ID Law "was signed into law by the Governor of Pennsylvania in March of this year" and that, for the November 2012 general election and later elections, "the legislation generally requires presentation of a photo identification card as a prerequisite to the casting of ballots by most registered voters." The law directed the Department of Transportation to issue identification cards at no cost to registered voters who swore they had no other proof of identification.
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
2011
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Governor signs Act 131 of 2011, Pennsylvania's congressional district plan
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recorded that Senate Bill 1249 passed the House 136 to 61 and that Governor Corbett signed it into law on December 22, 2011 as Act 131 of 2011, the "2011 Plan".
Source last checked Oct 20, 2026
Nationwide
2019
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House passes Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019; no Senate vote follows
On December 6, 2019, the House passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, by 228 to 187 (Roll no. 654). It was received in the Senate on December 9, 2019 and referred to the Judiciary Committee; the bill record lists no Senate vote, and it did not become law.
Source last checked Oct 31, 2026
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Supreme Court decides Department of Commerce v. New York, on a census citizenship question
On June 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a challenge to the Commerce Secretary's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The syllabus says "The Enumeration Clause permits Congress, and by extension the Secretary, to inquire about citizenship on the census questionnaire," and the judgment was "affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded."
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
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Supreme Court decides Rucho v. Common Cause
On June 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court decided cases from North Carolina and Maryland in which voters challenged congressional maps as partisan. The Court held that such claims present "political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts."
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
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House passes For the People Act of 2019; no Senate vote follows
On March 8, 2019, the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019, by 234 to 193 (Roll no. 118). The bill was received in the Senate on March 12, 2019 and placed on the Senate calendar; the bill record lists no Senate vote on passage, and it did not become law.
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
2018
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President signs Executive Order 13848 on foreign interference in U.S. elections
Executive Order 13848, dated September 12, 2018, imposes sanctions authority in the event of foreign interference in a U.S. election. The order says "there has been no evidence of a foreign power altering the outcome or vote tabulation in any United States election" and declares a national emergency over the threat of interference.
Source last checked Oct 20, 2026
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Supreme Court decides Gill v. Whitford
On June 18, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed a challenge to Wisconsin's state legislative map as a partisan one. The Court held that "The plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate Article III standing."
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
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Supreme Court decides Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute
On June 11, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court held that "The process that Ohio uses to remove voters on change-of-residence grounds does not violate the Failure-to-Vote Clause or any other part of the NVRA."
- Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, 584 U.S. 756 (2018), U.S. Reports, Volume 584 (Supreme Court) ↗
- Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, No. 16-980 (U.S. June 11, 2018), syllabus and opinions (Cornell Legal Information Institute copy) ↗
Source last checked Oct 22, 2026
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President terminates the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity
Executive Order 13820, dated January 3, 2018 and published January 8, 2018, revoked Executive Order 13799 and states that "the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity is accordingly terminated."
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
2017
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Supreme Court decides Cooper v. Harris
On May 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed North Carolina's congressional Districts 1 and 12. The syllabus says the lower court "did not err in concluding that race furnished the predominant rationale for District 1's redesign and that the State's interest in complying with the VRA could not justify that consideration of race."
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
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President establishes the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity
Executive Order 13799, dated May 11, 2017 and published May 16, 2017, established the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, chaired by the Vice President, to "study the registration and voting processes used in Federal elections."
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
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Homeland Security designates election infrastructure as critical infrastructure
On January 6, 2017, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he had determined "that election infrastructure in this country should be designated as a subsector of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector." The statement defines election infrastructure as including "storage facilities, polling places, and centralized vote tabulations locations" and voter registration databases and voting machines.
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
2016
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Supreme Court decides Evenwel v. Abbott
On April 4, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court held that "a State or locality may draw its legislative districts based on total population," according to its syllabus.
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
2013
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Supreme Court decides Shelby County v. Holder
On June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional and that its formula can no longer be used as a basis for requiring places to get federal approval ("preclearance") before changing voting procedures.
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
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Supreme Court decides Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
On June 17, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that "Arizona's evidence-of-citizenship requirement, as applied to Federal Form applicants, is pre-empted by the NVRA's mandate that States 'accept and use' the Federal Form."
Source last checked Oct 23, 2026
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President establishes the Presidential Commission on Election Administration
Executive Order 13639, dated March 28, 2013 and published April 3, 2013, established the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. The order says the commission "shall identify best practices and otherwise make recommendations to promote the efficient administration of elections."
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
How this timeline is built
Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.
When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · Back to the 2026 voting center.