Investigation into Fraudulent Voter Registration Forms in Pennsylvania

Massive Batches of Voter Registration Forms Under Scrutiny

In the 2024 battleground state of Pennsylvania, police are investigating approximately 2,500 voter registration forms that were submitted in two large batches. Investigators have found that 60% of the forms they've checked so far are fraudulent. The ballots were submitted in Lancaster County, but two other counties are also examining similar batches. Officials have attributed this to a "large-scale canvassing operation," but have not disclosed who is behind it. The applications were received around Pennsylvania's Oct 21 registration deadline. Some speculate that the timing was strategic, aimed at taking advantage of the time pressure administrators would be facing before the Nov. 5 Election Day. However, upon reviewing the forms, application processors immediately noticed several red flags: - Multiple applications with the same handwriting and signatures - Many forms filled out on the same day - Applications for previously-registered voters whose signatures on the forms did not match the ones on file

Signs of Fraud Detected

These irregularities prompted a police investigation. Lancaster County detectives confirmed that many of the applications were fraudulent. Signs of fraud included: - Inaccurate addresses - False personal identification information - False names - Names that didn't match the Social Security Number on the form In several instances, forms had accurate data, but the supposed applicants told detectives they had neither requested nor completed the forms. They also confirmed that the signatures were not theirs. In total, 60% of the applications that have been vetted so far were found to be fraudulent.

Large-Scale Canvassing Operation Suspected

"It's believed that the fraudulent voter registrations are connected to a large-scale canvassing operation for voter registrations that date back to June," said Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams. "The majority of applications received are dated August 15 and after. Those canvassing for voter registrations were employed and paid to obtain voter registration applications." Adams did not provide details about the canvassing organization or the names of individual suspects. The fraudulent forms included registrations for both Democrats and Republicans. However, she noted that the canvassing operation mainly took place at shopping centers, parking lots, parks, grocery stores, sidewalks, and businesses. The fraudulent activity ranged from completely bogus applications to ones where a real voter had started registering but then decided not to move forward, only to have an application submitted for them anyway.

Potential Legal Consequences

"Forgery of an application, which we have seen evidence of, would be a felony of the third degree punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine," said Adams. She added that one provision of the legal code would also enforce a 10-year loss of voting privileges. Adams stated that all available detectives were assigned to the case, who are working under the pressure of the approaching Election Day. She noted that two other Pennsylvania counties are investigating similarly suspicious batches of registration applications. She declined to name them, but the Berks County DA told the Philadelphia Inquirer "We believe we have some and will be looking into them."

Political Parties Distance Themselves from Fraud

Lancaster County GOP chair Kirk Radanovic told Lancaster Online that the description of paid canvassers approaching voters on the streets does not meet the description of GOP and affiliated campaign volunteers. Similarly, the vice-chair of the Lancaster County Democrats stated, "We have no reason to believe it was affiliated with any Democratic candidate’s campaign in the county.” Most of the 2,500 applications were submitted in the name of people who live in the City of Lancaster, the Keystone State's 10th-most populous city. According to the 2020 census, about 40% of its 58,000 residents are Latino, 39% white, and 13% black.

Expert Insight

Florida State University election law expert Michael Morley told the Inquirer that canvassing operations that center on per-application payments and quotas incentivize bogus registrations. However, he says it's rare for those registrations to culminate in fraudulent votes. "Even if it gets through, that’s sort of the end of the line. It’s not part of a bigger picture plot to steal the election,” he said. With its 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is the biggest prize among the seven swing states that also include Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. In 2020, Joe Biden officially won the state by only 80,555 votes out of more than 6.8 million counted statewide.

Other Instances of Voter Fraud

This revelation from Lancaster County comes in the same week that at least a dozen Mesa County, Colorado ballots were found to have been stolen and mailed in, and three of them are going to be counted anyway. Despite that and the larger story now unfolding in the most valuable swing state, some continue to dismiss organized voter fraud as just a right-wing conspiracy theory.

Bottom Line

The discovery of fraudulent voter registration forms in Pennsylvania raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process. It's a reminder of the importance of vigilance and thorough checks in maintaining the credibility of our democratic systems. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think more should be done to prevent such instances of fraud? Share this article with your friends and let's get the conversation started. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.