Voter registration probes launched in crucial Keystone State counties amid claims of potential fraud
Potentially fraudulent election materials are being probed by top law enforcement and election officials in the battleground state of Pennsylvania as the 2024 contest enters its final days.
District attorneys and election officials in both Lancaster County and York County are looking into potential election-related fraud after authorities received large batches of voter registration materials from a "third-party organization." Both York and Lancaster counties have more registered Republican voters than Democrats, according to state data, with York Republicans holding a 63% majority in the area and Lancaster Republicans at a 61% majority.
The importance of the issues cropping up in Pennsylvania – which is widely viewed as one of the key battleground states that could determine a winner in the presidential race – were underscored on Tuesday, when 2024 GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump highlighted the allegations of potential fraud in a Truth Social post.
"Wow! York County, Pennsylvania, received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group. This is on top of Lancaster County being caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person. Really bad "stuff." WHAT IS GOING ON IN PENNSYLVANIA??? Law Enforcement must do their job, immediately!!! WOW!!!" he posted.
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In Lancaster County, home to Pennsylvania's Amish community, the district attorney and Lancaster County Board of Elections held a press conference last week announcing the investigation of potential fraudulent voter registration forms – not ballots as Trump had alleged – after receiving roughly 2,500 voter registration applications in two separate batches last week. The batches of registration applications were dropped off ahead of Pennsylvania's registration deadline on Oct. 21.
"Staff noticed that numerous applications appeared to have the same handwriting (and) were filled out on the same day," District Attorney Heather Adams said during a press conference. "The confirmed indicators of fraud that detectives came across were inaccuracies with the addresses listed on the applications, fake and false personal identification information, as well as false names. Also, applications that had names that did not match the provided Social Security information."
Adams said the materials sometimes included correct personal information, but when the individuals were contacted by investigators, they reported they did not request the application forms. She estimated this week that about 60% of the applications were fraudulent, News 8 reported.
County Commissioner Josh Parsons told News 8 that the alleged phony registration forms are a "threat" to the election process.
"We know that this is a threat to our election system," Parsons said. "This is essentially an attack on our election system when you're trying to get registrations in that are clearly fraudulent."
He added, "If we have clearly fraudulent applications on their face, that is a problem. That is a threat to our election security. That's what we want our staff to detect. They did. We're glad the system worked in Lancaster County. We're proud of them for doing that."
Concerns over fraudulent election materials are also mounting in York County, which neighbors Lancaster County across the Susquehanna River. County commissioners are currently looking into suspicious "election-related materials from a third-party organization."
"We are committed to ensuring the integrity, safety and security of our elections. The York County Office of Elections and Voter Registration has received a large delivery containing thousands of election-related materials from a third-party organization," York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler said in a statement provided to local outlets this week.
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The statement continued, "Those materials appear to include completed voter registration forms, as well as mail-in ballot applications. As with all submissions, our staff follows a process for ensuring all voter registrations and mail-in ballot requests are legal. That process is currently underway. If suspected fraud is identified, we will alert the District Attorney’s Office, which will then conduct an investigation. We will have no further comment until our internal review has been completed."
Wheeler added that an "overabundance of registrations from one particular organization" set off alarm bells for election officials, according to Fox 43.
The York County DA's office told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that "The Office of the District Attorney has been in constant contact with the York County Commissioners and York County Board of Elections regarding any potential irregularities they are seeing and observing that may necessitate further investigation by this office."
"As we have always done, this office will investigate any matter regarding elections that require a criminal investigation and if needed, would prosecute any cases where the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction. Regarding any specific allegations or investigation, it is the policy of this office not to comment on such specific matters but only general operating procedures. Any other questions concerning the operations of elections should be referred to the County Commissioners and/or the Board of Elections," the DA's office continued.
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Eyes are locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle, as the Northeast battleground state could help tip the election one way or the other.
Pennsylvania carries 19 electoral votes and since 1992 has voted for Democratic presidential candidates – until Trump's successful 2016 election. Trump narrowly won the state that year as he campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In 2020, however, Biden won the state by 1.17 percentage points, teeing up a highly-anticipated election showdown next week between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.