Tipsheet

Election Shenanigans Aplenty in Pennsylvania

Mia Cathell
Mia Cathell  |  November 05, 2024 4:15 PM

We are still hours away from polls closing in battleground Pennsylvania, but there are already shenanigans aplenty across multiple counties. Widespread voting problems were reported in two heavily Republican counties, causing chaos and long lines, and election judges failed to appear at a pair of Pittsburgh-area polling places, delaying operations significantly this morning.

Here's how Election Day is shaking down in the Keystone State:

Cambria County

Pennsylvanians in deep-red Cambria County are now allotted two extra hours (until 10 p.m.) to vote today after issues scanning ballots threatened to disenfranchise voters in the critical swing state.

The Cambria County Board of Election learned early Tuesday morning that "a software malfunction" in the county's Electronic Voting System (EVS) prevented voters from scanning their ballots, Cambria County Solicitor Ron Repak said in a statement.

"This should not discourage voters from voting at their voting precincts," Repak added.

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One Trump voter told The New York Post that a poll worker put his ballot in a lock box until it could be scanned. He voiced reservations, saying "whether or not it gets scanned, I'll never know to be honest."

Others also left their ballots behind to be scanned later on, as opposed to coming back once the machines were fixed.

The election board accordingly filed a court order extending the time to vote within Cambria County.

The emergency paperwork said many had left the polling locations without voting.

A judge approved the petition, but caveated that any ballot cast after the actual closing deadline would be considered provisional.

So, voters in line before 8 p.m. will be able to vote via the county's regular voting system. However, those who get in line within the two-hour extension window will have to vote by provisional ballot.

Pennsylvania's Department of State announced it is in contact with Cambria County election officials and working to resolve "this technical matter."

IT specialists were also called to rectify the in-precinct scanning situation.

"There is a process in place for issues of this nature," Repak stated.

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley urged Cambria County voters to stay in line and cast their ballots regardless of the delay, assuring that the GOP's Pennsylvania lawyers are "all over" the issue.

Bedford County

A number of precincts also reported problems with their tabulation machines in Bedford County, an overwhelmingly Republican jurisdiction that hasn't voted blue since Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide in 1964.

However, officials say the issues cropped up before the polls opened, and support teams were sent to find a solution.

"The ability to vote has not been impacted and at this time all sites are being addressed," said the county's Director of Elections Jeffrey Gables.

Authorities are reassuring voters that their ballots will be counted despite the malfunctions. 

Donald Trump won both Cambria and Bedford counties with 68 percent and 83 percent of the vote in 2020, respectively. For the former, in 2016, Trump broke the modern record for margin of victory in Cambria County set by Lyndon B. Johnson 60 years ago. Bedford was Trump's second strongest county in Pennsylvania, behind neighboring Fulton County.

Allegheny County

As Townhall covered, a polling location in Pittsburgh reportedly opened up late — hours after it was supposed to — when the election judge did not arrive.

Poll workers at the District 31, Precinct 3 site in Pittsburgh's Lincoln Place neighborhood lacked the supplies needed to start, according to Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

Several voters were standing in line as early as 6:30 a.m. to cast their ballots, and some (nearly 20 Pennsylvanians) ended up voting provisionally before election officials got the machines operating.

An Allegheny County spokesperson said provisional ballots will not be counted Tuesday night, noting that that process will take several days.

A constable on the scene told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that the polling place was finally up and running at around 9 a.m. long after some voters already left.

On-site election workers reported that a fill-in judge had to be brought in.

A similar situation was reportedly unfolding over in Whitehall, which is about a 20-minute drive south of the Steel City. The delay there was also due to an election judge running late, though the polling place was operable as of 8:20 a.m.

On X, Allegheny County officials confirmed that the judge of elections was late at Whitehall-03, causing a significant delay.

As for Pittsburgh 31-03 (Lincoln Place), the sheriff had to take the poll book from the election judge, who did not show up at all, and bring it to the polling place. According to procedures, once the polling book arrives, the site can open as normal. 

Philadelphia County

In Philadelphia, the state's largest and bluest city, GOP poll watchers were allegedly not allowed inside polling locations.

Four court-appointed election workers were kicked out, Philly-based attorney Linda Kerns of The Federalist Society wrote on X. 

She said that the matter was reported to the Democrat district attorney, Soros-funded Larry Krasner. 

"Let's see if he takes action," she added.

Whatley, the RNC chair, said Republican observers were turned away in York, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Lehigh, Cambria, Wyoming, and Lackawanna counties as well.

"We deployed our roving attorneys, engaged with local officials, and can now report that all Republican poll watchers have been let into the building," Whatley wrote. "We will keep fighting, keep winning, and keep sharing updates."

Meanwhile, Krasner is now investigating reports of hidden cameras filming poll workers, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

His office's election protection task force also reportedly received several calls about people blocking entrances at polling sites.

"Anybody who tries to mess with this election, intimidate by bullying, anybody who tries to do that, F— around and find out," Krasner said at a press conference. Standing next to Krasner, one woman wore a "FAFO" election task force T-shirt.

As of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Krasner's office reported receiving about 50 complaints, mainly suspicions of electioneering.