Report: 8M Pa. Residents Expected to Vote

Watchdog group concerned about anti-democracy activities among election officials

By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service
The Tube City Almanac
November 05, 2024
Posted in: Politics & Elections

Amid concerns of election denialism, a report from a nonpartisan watchdog organization highlights the robust protections in place to help safeguard Pennsylvania’s election process.

More than 8 million registered voters in the commonwealth are expected to cast a ballot in today's presidential election. Polls are open in Pennsylvania until 8 p.m.

Jenny Gimian, director of legal research and senior policy counsel for the nonprofit Informing Democracy, said counties in Pennsylvania have significant authority to interpret and implement state laws, while the Secretary of State has limited oversight powers. It comes into play if defective ballots need a “cure.”

“Pennsylvania doesn’t have a cure law,” Gimian said. “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued a decision confirming that counties can decide whether or not they are going to notify voters if they discover a defect with their ballot before election day. Some counties go out of their way to notify voters and allow them to cast a provisional ballot to fix the issue, others do not.”

Gimian said the group tracks petition recounts, adding in 2022, voters filed around 150 recount petitions in 27 counties. Many were dismissed due to errors and none changed any race outcomes. However, the petitions delayed state certification by over a week, until Dec. 22, despite the Electoral Count Reform Act’s Dec. 11 deadline.

Peter Bondi, managing director of Informing Democracy, said the report examines the broader strategies being used to undermine or delay election laws. It also zeros in on vulnerabilities in important swing states like Pennsylvania. Bondi emphasized the election denial movement has become more organized and plans to use every tool available to disrupt the electoral process and spread misinformation.

“In our research in a dozen key states, just about 300 election officials among some 2,600 we’ve researched exhibit anti-democracy activities, whether it’s election denial or other things like platform and conspiracy theories,” Bondi said.

Bondi is also concerned outside agitators will disrupt elections, pointing to recent reports of ballots burned in several states. Despite the challenges, he said committed election workers within a well-structured system are key to proving the resilience of our democracy.

Danielle M. Smith is a producer for Public News Service, where this story first appeared. An award-winning radio journalist/personality with more than a decade of experience in broadcast media, she is a former audio journalist with American Urban Radio Networks and Sheridan Broadcasting Networks who also hosts a weekly community affairs show “Good News” on WGBN (1360 AM/98.9 FM).

Originally published November 05, 2024.

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