Tipsheet

RNC Achieves Election Integrity Victory in Case of Voters Turned Away in Pennsylvania

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 30, 2024 4:45 PM

On Wednesday, days after a supporter of former and potentially future President Donald Trump was arrested in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for encouraging voters to stay in line and cast their ballot, RNC and the Trump-Vance campaign achieved an election integrity win with Bucks County, a swing county in a key swing state. Voters will now have an extension for early mail voting through Friday, November 1, at 5pm. 

As Katie covered on Monday:

"With only eight days until Election Day, Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth deserve every option available to exercise their civic duty. But voters are being turned away, given faulty information, and told their ballots will not be counted. This is nothing short of voter suppression, and we demand immediate action to ensure every legal vote can be cast and counted properly," RNC Chairman Michael Whatley released in a statement. 

In a letter written to Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, an attorney for the RNC and Trump campaign detailed the issues and demanded changes.

"Voters consistently report to us that at Boards of Election Offices across the Commonwealth, they are told that 'computers are down,' the site will be closing early, they are not accepting any more voters, and that mail ballots will not be counted. Pennsylvanians deserve the same effortless experience boasted about by Governor Shapiro but county offices appear unable or unwilling to provide it," attorney Linda Kerns wrote. 

"No voter should be turned away, told an office is closing early, or told they cannot be accommodated if they appear during the posted business hours. If a voter visits a Board of Election Office to request, fill out, and return a mail ballot anywhere in the Keystone State during the posted office hours, they should be provided the opportunity. No one should be told to go home. If they get in line before the posted closing time, each voter should be able to request, fill out, and return their mail ballot," Kerns continued.

With such concerns, and considerable attention surrounding voter integrity after the arrest of Val Biancaniello, the Trump supporter mentioned above, the RNC filed a lawsuit on Tuesday night, referencing "voter suppression" as well as how Bucks County turning away voters was "a direct violation of Pennsylvanians' rights to cast their ballot," noting that "all voters have a right to STAY in line."

Such an announcement from the RNC referenced a post over X from the PA Department of State. "The Pennsylvania Department of State made clear if voters are in line at a county elections office by 5:00PM, the counties MUST give voters the opportunity to apply for their mail-in ballot. Pennsylvania voters were turned away as early as 2:30PM," the RNC also noted.

National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, during a Wednesday afternoon press call, spoke of the incident involving Biancaniello as well as how there had been "multiple other incidents of voters being turned away."

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The victory came on Wednesday and was celebrated by Whatley as well as other grassroots activists on the ground looking to get out the vote. 

As the Associated Press also reported about the victory:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday sided with Donald Trump's campaign and agreed to extend an in-person voting option in suburban Philadelphia where long lines on the final day led to complaints voters were being disenfranchised by an unprepared election office.

Judge Jeffrey Trauger said in a one-page order that Bucks County voters who want to apply for an early mail ballot now have until Friday.

...

In Bucks County, the Trump campaign lawsuit said people who were in line by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline to apply in-person for a mail ballot should have been allowed to get a ballot, even after the deadline. However, Bucks County's election office denied voters that right and ordered them to leave, the lawsuit said.

“This is a direct violation of Pennsylvanians’ rights to cast their ballot — and all voters have a right to STAY in line,” the Trump campaign said in a statement.

The Republican National Committee and the campaign of Republican Senate nominee David McCormick joined the lawsuit against Bucks County, where Democrats control the government in a closely politically divided county often seen as a political bellwether.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration had urged counties to allow every voter who was in line by the 5 p.m. deadline to submit a mail-in ballot application. Responding to criticism and misinformation on social media Tuesday, Bucks County had said every voter in line by 5 p.m. Tuesday would be allowed to apply for a mail ballot.

...

Voters waited up to three hours on Tuesday. Those still in line at 5 p.m. were told to go home, the lawsuit said.

Shortly after the news came in, Whatley and RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump participated in that press call for reporters, where they celebrated the win out of Pennsylvania and also the win that the U.S. Supreme Court granted earlier in the day allowing Virginia to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls. 

"This is a landmark victory that will allow our voters to cast those votes pursuant to Pennsylvania law, currency will leave no stone unturned in ensuring a fair, accurate and secure and transparent election, not just for Republican voters, but for all voters," Whatley said. He and Trump emphasized throughout the call that their concerns for election integrity were for all voters, regardless of party affiliation, and that they did not know or care the affiliation of those voters who were turned away in line. 

In general election integrity terms, Whatley spoke of two "high priorities" for them to be in a place to win the election: "to get out the vote" and on "election integrity... to ensure that we're going to have a fair, accurate secure, and transparent election." Speaking of their "most expansive and experienced election integrity team in history," Whatley also noted they have engaged in 135 lawsuits across the country. 

Among those specific priorities include only allowing American citizens to vote, having voter ID in place, cleaning up the voter rolls, and "basic protections in place" for mail-in and absentee ballots, which Whatley pointed out all enjoy wide support.