In Pennsylvania, a critical swing state for the 2024 election, an investigation has revealed at least 2,500 fraudulent voter registration applications in one county, with additional suspect applications reported in two others.
The registrations, allegedly linked to a large-scale canvassing campaign, have raised concerns about organized efforts to influence the state’s voter rolls and sparked a thorough investigation by county and state officials.
The suspect applications were submitted around October 21, Pennsylvania’s deadline for voter registration, by an individual associated with a political action group. The registrants were reportedly canvassers paid by this group to collect and submit applications since June.
According to authorities, the fraudulent applications contained inaccuracies such as mismatched signatures, repeated handwriting, and unauthorized use of individuals’ names.
District Attorney Heather Adams (R) said in a statement that applications from this group were also received by two other Pennsylvania counties.
“We have confirmed violations of our crimes code as well as our elections code,” Adams stated. “We have all available detectives working on this. We are all hands on deck to properly assess the validity of these applications in a timely manner.”
In the course of the investigation, authorities contacted some individuals whose names appeared on the applications, and these individuals confirmed that they had not submitted them. However, Adams added that some applications have been verified as legitimate and are being processed as valid voter registrations.
“Applications that have gone through this extensive review and investigative process and are not deemed fraudulent are being processed,” said Ray D’Agostino, chair of the county’s Board of Elections, who further emphasized that eligible voters would not be turned away due to these concerns.
Officials involved in the investigation described the operation as an “organized effort” and noted that canvassers were conducting their activities in high-traffic public locations, such as parks, grocery stores, and parking lots.
At least 60% of the applications linked to this canvassing group were flagged as fraudulent, according to preliminary findings.
The ongoing probe is aided by Pennsylvania’s Department of State, which expressed support for Lancaster County’s swift response.
However, officials from the county, which has leaned Republican in recent elections, did not disclose whether the flagged registrations were primarily from individuals intending to register as Democrats or Republicans.
With investigators and officials working urgently to validate these applications, the probe’s findings could have wider implications on how voter registration drives are conducted and monitored in the state.
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