Early voting problems in Pennsylvania have raised MAGA ire: ‘Election interference’

Supporters of the former president Donald Trump are claiming “election interference” after a time-consuming early voting option led to long lines and frustrated voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Voters in Doylestown, the Bucks County seat in suburban Philadelphia, waited up to three hours on Tuesday, the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot in person, according to data CBS News and Associated Press.

Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, is perhaps the most sought after of the seven battlegrounds in that polls show the race is close between Trump and the Vice President Kamala Harris this could be decided by narrow margins in swing states.

Bucks County officials said the long wait was because workers were overwhelmed by the vote-by-mail process amid a surge in voter numbers. Early voting turnout among Republicans increased this year after Trump urged his supporters to vote early after repeatedly speaking out against forms of early voting during the 2020 election.

In 2019, the Pennsylvania Legislature, then controlled republicanspassed legislation creating an early voting system different from most states. It allows registered voters to go to their county elections office, request a mail-in ballot, and fill out an application. After verification, the ballot is printed. They can then fill it out and turn it in during their visit, return it by mail, or put it in their mailbox.

The lines are long because the process can take 10 to 12 minutes per voter, Bob Harvey, chairman of the Bucks County Board of Elections, told CBS News.

“This is a very labor-intensive process. We don’t have unlimited resources. We have a fixed number of employees. We have a fixed budget,” Harvey said.

Newsweek contacted Harvey for comment by email after hours.

On social media, some shared videos showing lines at polling stations being cut off early, with some claiming it was aimed at disenfranchising voters.

“Lines like these lasted for days in counties across Pennsylvania,” said James Blair, Trump campaign political director. wrote next to the video on X, earlier Twitter. “Only for election officials to come out and push people out of line and tell them to come back. Voter suppression!

Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Such lines stood for several days in Pennsylvania counties. Only to have election officials come out, push people out of line, and tell them to go back.

Voter suppression! pic.twitter.com/aYrR1N1AeD

— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) October 29, 2024

Blair shared another video of officers cutting the line in Doylestown around 2:30 pm on Tuesday. “It’s overwhelming and intimidating,” he said. wrote.

Caroline Leavitt, Trump campaign spokeswoman, wrote to X: “You have the right to stand in line to vote! Don’t let election officials turn you away during their posted office hours.”

The Trump campaign has been contacted for comment via email.

Collin Rugg, co-owner of the conservative publication Trending Politics, shared video A voter message where an officer explains that the Quakertown line was shut down early because the process is “slow and grueling.”

In the video, the officer said: “The reason they had to close it is because there’s a lot of people wanting to do it, it’s slow and back-breaking… they had to cut the line at 1:45.”

Some Trump supporters argued that the lines were cut off early because “too many” Republicans were voting.

One Trump supporter with over 100,000 followers wrote on X: “Pennsylvania is engaged in SERIOUS ELECTION INTERFERENCE throughout the state and the Governor is SILENT!…The reason they are shutting down the lines early? TOO MANY REPUBLICANS VOTE.”

Newsweek I can’t check these videos. Governor of Pennsylvania Josh ShapiroThe office was contacted via email for comment.

Bucks County government responded to the criticism Tuesday by saying every voter in line by 5 p.m. will be allowed to apply to vote by mail.

“Contrary to what is portrayed on social media, if you queue up by 5pm to apply for a postal vote, you will have the option to apply for a postal vote,” the government said. wrote on X.

“We are aware that due to a miscommunication, individuals queuing to apply for a postal vote were briefly told they could not be accommodated. In fact, these voters were given the opportunity to apply for a postal vote. Today.”

Contrary to what is portrayed on social media, if you are in line by 5pm to apply for a postal vote, you will have the option to apply for a postal vote. (1/3)

— Bucks County Government (@BucksCountyGovt) October 29, 2024

This is stated in a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of State provided by Newsweek that he “has been in contact with our county elections partners, urging them to develop a plan to ensure every registered voter in line by 5:00 p.m. on October 29 has the opportunity to apply for a mail-in ballot.”

The statement applauded county election workers, who it said had “processed an unprecedented increase in in-person mail requests.” It adds that “Ultimately, elections in Pennsylvania are conducted at the county level, and county boards of elections are responsible for individual staffing and resource decisions.”

republican On Monday, the National Committee sent a letter to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt urging him to respond to widespread election problems across the state. Schmidt’s office has been contacted for comment via email.

The letter said voters were told computers were down, polling places were closing early and would not accept any more voters, and mail-in ballots would not be counted.

“No voter should be turned away, told that the office is closing early, or told that they cannot be seen if they show up during scheduled business hours.” the letter said.

At Tuesday’s briefing, Schmidt said the department has “received many questions about voters experiencing delays at county election offices when they try to vote in person by mail.”

“Last week, the Department of State asked counties to ensure that every registered voter in line by 5:00 p.m. today had the opportunity to apply and apply for a mail-in ballot.”

He added: “We will continue to work with our counties to ensure that every voter who wants to vote by mail can do so. I urge you to please be patient with county election workers.”

Update 10/30/24 10:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of State.