The Republican National Committee sent a letter Monday to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt raising concerns over reports of voting access issues in the key swing state.
The RNC said it received reports of administration issues in relation to voting, including claims of computers being down and polling sites inexplicably closing early or not accepting more voters.
It added the reports are “especially alarming” because Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) posted pictures on social media on October 26 of what appeared to be a smooth voting experience.
“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.
The letter continues:
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 issued an accompanying statement calling the incidents “nothing short of voter suppression.”
“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.”
BREAKING: GOP sounds alarm on "voter suppression" in Pennsylvania.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 28, 2024
"Voters are being turned away, given faulty information, and told their ballots will not be counted. This is nothing short of voter suppression." – RNC @ChairmanWhatley pic.twitter.com/BBgqx8rMgD
“Pennsylvanians deserve the same effortless experience boasted about by Governor Shapiro, but county offices appear unable or unwilling to provide it.”
“Tomorrow, October 29, 2024, is the last day to request a mail-in ballot in person at a county election office. 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,” Whatley noted.
“We are asking Secretary Schmidt to provide relief immediately – supporting a ‘free, fair, safe, and secure’ election as he promised,” he added.
Gov. Shapiro had stated on social media that the voting processes across the state were going along seamlessly.
“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,” the PA governor said.
It’s time to vote, Pennsylvania!
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) October 26, 2024
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.
Whether you vote by mail, in person on Election Day, or at a satellite office, you can trust that… pic.twitter.com/uuxu9W0ptU
This comes just days after a Pennsylvania county district attorney Heather Adams announced her office discovered a large-scale voter fraud operation attempting to register thousands of fraudulent voters in the state.
BREAKING: Lancaster, Pennsylvania officials have BUSTED a large-scale fraudulent voter registration scheme that includes thousands of applications with the same handwriting, fake signatures, false addresses, etc
— George (@BehizyTweets) October 25, 2024
They discovered the same scheme in other Pennsylvania counties.… pic.twitter.com/xiN320U9jY
Speaking of voter suppression, Trump supporters in Philadelphia have also reportedly been receiving threatening letters which seek to coerce them out of casting their votes for the GOP candidate in the 2024 election.
Notably, it’s federal crime to intimidate voters and it is also a Pennsylvania state crime to make terroristic threats.