The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Monday sent a letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of Al Schmidt over reports of issues related to voting access in the state.
The RNC said it has received reports of administration issues in relation to voting. That includes claims of computers being down and polling sites inexplicably closing early or not accepting more voters. The RNC said these issues are “especially alarming” because Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) posted pictures on social media on October 26 of what appeared to be a seamless voting experience.
“It’s time to vote, Pennsylvania! Today, I cast my ballot in Montgomery County at a satellite office — where I requested my mail ballot, filled it out, and returned it, all on site,” he said.
“Whether you vote by mail, in person on Election Day, or at a satellite office, you can trust that every legal ballot will be counted,” he added.
The RNC’s letter to Schmidt concludes that Shapiro’s “smooth experience appears to be an outlier.”
“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,” the letter reads, continuing:
On behalf of all Pennsylvania voters, we ask that you provide that promised support immediately. Tomorrow, October 29, 2024, is the last day to request a mail-in ballot in person at a county election office. If you truly believe that every vote is “equally precious,” as you stated on October 26, 2024, we urge you to act with the necessary urgency so that every voter in this Commonwealth has the same experience enjoyed by Governor Shapiro. 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.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement that “Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth deserve every option available to exercise their civic duty.”
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Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News“But voters are being turned away, given faulty information, and told their ballots will not be counted,” he warned. “This is nothing short of voter suppression, and we demand immediate action to ensure every legal vote can be cast and counted properly.”
All the while, Republican voter registration data in the Keystone State is looking strong.
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