Additional Coverage:
- Pennsylvania officials investigating fraudulent voter registration applications in Lancaster County (nbcnews.com)
Pennsylvania Voter Fraud Investigation
Officials in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are investigating over 2,500 potentially fraudulent voter registration applications. Election workers detected inconsistencies in personal information, signatures, and handwriting on the forms.
Investigators suspect that paid canvassers may have completed the forms as part of an organized effort. Law enforcement is now involved, and at least 60% of the applications examined so far have been deemed fraudulent.
Legitimate Voters Protected
Officials emphasize that eligible voters will not be denied registration. The Board of Elections is processing non-fraudulent applications.
Support from State Officials
The Pennsylvania Department of State has praised Lancaster election staff for identifying the suspicious applications. The department encourages voters to check their registration online for accuracy.
Infrequent Incidents
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt believes incidents like this are rare and demonstrate the effectiveness of the election system. He says an outside organization may be responsible for collecting the fraudulent forms.
Republican Group Denies Involvement
Conservative activist Scott Pressler of Early Vote Action, which aims to register Republicans, denies any involvement in the scheme. Paid canvassers have been linked to political form forgery in the past.